Broken sequel to Branded
by tsukitaiyo
Summary: Naruto had been re-united with his father and Sasuke had deemed that he would continue to be faithful.but hate is a powerful thing.The promise to keep their lives intertwined became a challenge DISCONTINUED due to lack of love.
1. Dark Red Tears

Broken

Broken

The sequel to _Branded_ has finally arrived! Dun dun duuuun! :dramatic music:

_Naruto had been re-united with his father and Sasuke had deemed that he would continue to be faithful…but hate is a powerful thing. The promise to keep their lives intertwined became a challenge, and only new obstacles could arise within their broken lives. _Same pairings I suppose! Actually no - I lie - more ItaDei/DeiIta in this one…why? Who knows…I just love Deidara…rocks my socks haha… _annnndd_ there may be a little GaaNaru, but the main paring still is SasuNaru…though…it may steadily become more like NaruSasu…_paha_… (also I changed Deidara's 'un' to a 'hm'…rolls of the tongue better I think XD).

Usual disclaimer and warnings applied as in _Branded. _Vampires/demonic themes…pretty cheesy…haha…oh the weird and the wonderful!

You **WON'T** understand this _unless_ you've read _Branded_. You can try though, but it's not really suggested. If you're new to the world of SabakuKyuu17 then you will find my other fic _Branded_ on my homepage.

Also to explain the poem below - I'm reading (well pretty much finished) Tom Holland's _The Vampyre_, and have fallen in love with Lord Byron's poerty…yey! The poem is the first one that you come across in the book. I'd recommend it to any vampire-fan. So I guess that means you.

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_**But first on earth as Vampire sent,**_

_**Thy corse shall from its tomb be rent:**_

_**Then ghastly haunt thy native place,**_

_**And suck the blood of all thy race:**_

_**There from thy daughter, sister, wife,**_

_**At midnight drain the stream of life;**_

_**Yet loathe the banquet which perforce**_

_**Must feed thy livid living corpse:**_

_**Thy victims, are they yet expire,**_

_**Shall know the demon for their sire,**_

_**As cursing thee, thou cursing them,**_

_**Thy flowers wither'd on the stem…**_

_**Wet with thine own best blood shall drip**_

_**Thy gnashing tooth and haggard lip;**_

_**Then stalking to thy sullen grave,**_

_**Go - and with the Gouls and Afrits rave;**_

_**Till these in horror shrink away**_

_**From spectre more accursed than they!**_

_**LORD BYRON, The Giaour.**_

_**But I hate things all fiction…there should always be some foundation of fact for the most airy fabric - and pure invention is but the talent of a liar. ( - Lord Byron).**_

(_**Begins in a flashback**_)

Chapter One

Dark Red Tears

The kiss of the night could shine upon everything, lighting it, shadowing it, cowering it in darkness and in a coaxing light that seemed to draw things in. It was the power of the moon that could do such things, the thing that made all else so beautiful even in the blackness of night.

The hazy glow of the moon settled upon the wavering lake, shimmering upon the stirring surface in silver ripples. Black eyes could not be torn away from the mesmerizing shine, watching it as if his whole life lay within those glimmering waves, subtle as they were, washing against his feet. He could stay there, away from it all…absorbed in the calm, his body and mind so drained of life…so drained of love…filled only with obligation…and otherwise empty.

_Duty. Duty. Duty._

That word made his head throb…make it world circle and his was his reason. Was it much to ask? Do your duty to your clan? Do your duty to your people - protect the people…but why? He'd often wondered this himself. Why train so hard? Why train his mind, his body, ready himself for a hardship that his family wasn't even ready to tell him about yet? He hated wasting his life in order to fulfil something that he didn't know anything about.

Itachi only wanted a reason. He only wanted to know what on earth it was that these people wanted of him…that his family wanted of him. He couldn't think that it was so much to ask…and yet there was so much that these people wanted of him without giving him any reasons or explanations. It tore at his soul…it had never suited him…it had never fitted him right…it was like holding a katana that was too large…or wearing a kimono that was too small. It seemed wrong…it felt wrong…and all in all, he felt as if he was meant for something more.

The night-time sounds had always soothed him…he's always found rest there, hidden and safe surrounded by trees and a fair distance away from the complex. To them he'd seem only a blur in the distance. He preferred it that way…yet he could hear the slap of bare feet against the wood of the decking that extended over the lake…small feet, and small pants or a running child. Itachi's eyes moved from the mesmerizing movements of the lake and glanced over his shoulder as his brother lunged at him from behind.

"Aniki!" he cried, wrapping his arms around Itachi's neck and holding on as tight as his white and nimble arms would allow. Itachi placed his hand upon Sasuke's small wrist and held onto it as his brother remained attached.

"You're like a little leach." Itachi muttered. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

Sasuke shook his head, burying it in his brother's back, his hands balling as he held tighter onto his brother. Itachi dropped his head, allowing Sasuke to stand there until out of his boredom he dropped down onto his knees, his resolved grip was weak and he made a small sound like an aggravated moan.

"Don't pout, Sasuke."

"But I don't want to go to sleep." Sasuke pulled himself to kneel besides his older brother, looking up at Itachi's profile with tired black eyes, rubbing them with small white hands.

"Mama will be angry if she finds you out of your bed." Itachi resolved as Sasuke sat on his knees next to him, dressed in his white night clothes, his large black eyes glassy and hazy, his nose pink from the chill.

"I was never in bed." Sasuke countered, folding his arms and putting out his lips in an exaggerated pout that caused Itachi's lips to curl. "Papa was talking to me then he told me to go to my room…and I don't want to go to my room…I want to be there when aniki talks to papa!"

"Papa wants to see me?" Itachi had voiced it as a question and yet he realised that he'd totally forgotten about it. He'd been told at dinner that his father would like to speak with him privately later on…it had played on his mind as most things did, weighing down his thoughts a little more until nightfall had come, and he'd finally found some time to be alone.

"Papa said so, remember?" Sasuke wiped his eyes again, though seemed to perk up slightly at the confusion in the eyes of his brother.

"Yes, I remember. And otouto can't come." Itachi came to stand, lifting his feet from the water of the lake and lifting his sandals from his side as Sasuke's eyes went broad, following the taller form of his older brother in annoyance as he began to walk back up the deck towards the mansion.

"Oh, aniki!" Sasuke moaned. "Why? Why can't I come?" Sasuke followed just behind Itachi, his eyes falling over the Uchiha fan that adorned the back of his brother's deep blue yukata…noticing that his brother had his hair held back in a neat bun that night…not something that Itachi did often.

"It's not for small ears to hear." Came Itachi's neat answer, though he reasoned that Sasuke wasn't going to like it. And indeed he felt the retaliation of it soon after as Sasuke gripped onto his yukata and tugged as hard as he could in an attempt to make Itachi pay attention to him. Itachi stopped as Sasuke had wanted his calm half-cast eyes looking down at his small brother whose brow was marred with a frown, his lips puckered in a pout and his eyes entirely serious.

"_Gomenasai_, Sasuke." Itachi sighed, placing his hand upon his brother's head, Sasuke still reluctant to let go of the back of his yukata. "I'll tell you about it tomorrow, okay?"

"Really?" his eyes lit up slightly, but he almost didn't believe it. "You'll tell me?"

"I'll try my best. Now off to bed with you before papa realises you're here with me." Itachi promised as Sasuke's hand steadily came away from the bottom of his yukata, his eyes bright yet so tired.

It didn't take much more convincing. Itachi watched as Sasuke ran off ahead of him towards the mansion, vanishing beyond a screen door quickly and into the house before it looked as though anyone else had noticed. Itachi felt a slight stab of guilt in his heart knowing that he'd probably have to lie to Sasuke again about what he and his father talked about.

His father had forbid him from talking to Sasuke about anything that they were doing. Nothing could be told to Sasuke - not yet - although already his mother and father told him bed time stories that made Itachi suspicious. His father continued to hide something from him…and in ways Itachi was almost certain that although Sasuke wasn't aware of it, he was being told more about the threat that faced them than Itachi was.

His father always asked them to meet at night after Sasuke had gone to bed. It had been going on for two years now…and Itachi had always felt as if his father was trying to prepare him for something that he would have to face alone. He didn't dare to question it…the time for questions had long since passed and yet he felt as if he was owed so many explanations. He could not dwell upon it…he had no choice other than to move forwards almost blinded by the light that his father had chosen to guide him to his future - whatever that may be.

His father didn't seem annoyed that Itachi had arrived later than usual; instead he was in the middle of writing something when Itachi asked to enter his private chamber. His father sat beyond his writing desk, knelt on the ground near to the outer wall, while Itachi with his legs folded beneath him sat neatly watching his father as he finished his writing from his left.

The stern crease in his father's brow told him that he was weary of something; the dark lines beneath his eyes - much like Itachi shared with him - told him that he also had a lot on his mind. So much so that he lost sleep over it. He waited in total silence until his father had finished, he kept his dark eyes lowered to the tatami mats and his mind remained blank. He didn't want there to be any kind of emotion read upon his features or in his eyes that could appear as a kind of weakness.

"Itachi," his father began, folding away what appeared to be a letter. He did not turn to face his son; instead his eyes looked down at the papers at his writing desk.

"Yes, father?" Itachi voiced, bowing his head slightly, his hands remained held upon his lap.

"There are some serious matters of which we need to discuss. Of which, I feel that I owe you explanations…we were apprehensive. Yet I shall tell you what it is that you need to know."

Itachi looked up almost at once, entirely surprised and almost caught off guard by the news from his father. His father remained as he was, yet Itachi's eyes were now carefully trained upon him, watching his every move. If any part of him could be eager or anxious it was just then…so hungry to learn the truth that he felt he deserved to know after being held in the shadows for the passed two years.

"It may be difficult for you to accept at first, though knowing your mind, Itachi; you've probably been yearning for these answers for quite some time now. And although we may not be able to go through it all tonight, I shall let you know of the…_basics_." His father had paused momentarily as if attempting to find the right word…although afterwards didn't seem very impressed by his own choice of wording.

Uchiha Fugaku moved around so that he was sat facing his son, his hands folded along with his arms as his stern jaw hardened and he looked down at Itachi sat silently, watching his with inquisitive black eyes.

"Yes…well…" he thought again for a moment, wondering where he could begin. "Truth is, Itachi, that many generations now, years and years before us, our clan was not so much as it is now. All those years ago our nature was not so much that we train and fight to protect, much as now…back in those times, our family held a far more sinister nature."

"Sinister nature?" Itachi voiced, uncertain of what his father was saying. "What type of sinister nature? They were bad people?"

"Maybe I started the wrong way," Fugaku sighed, shutting his eyes momentarily before he began to speak again, trying to speak clearer that time. "The reason why I've been teaching you, the reason I've been training you is because it is not only to keep you safe, but to be a future protector of this clan."

"From what?"

"From those who stalk the night." His father said bluntly, looking Itachi in the eyes, curious as to why he'd said 'what' rather than 'who'.

"Those who stalk the night?" Itachi said it aloud but it didn't sound right to him. "What are they?"

"I don't like this word, but I suppose you may understand it better. Those who stalk the night are blood drinkers, Itachi. Vampires." His father didn't wait for any response out of his son, actually he didn't expect one and was proved right as Itachi remained silent, yet his eyes were suddenly distant as if he was thinking on it. "It has become our second nature to protect against them, to fight against them and to stand in their way at any cost. You see…what I was trying to say before was that the reason is that we do this is as to redeem ourselves. In the past, in the very distant past, our family had been a clan of blood drinkers. Does that make sense to you?"

"It does." Itachi nodded his head. "Now I understand why I fight."

"Good boy," Fugaku nodded his head, reasonably pleased though it could not show upon his features. "I left it so long to tell you this because, Itachi, there have been doubts plaguing my mind recently."

"Doubts about what?"

Fugaku exhaled deeply, his eyes shut once again. "Before I tell you that, I may need to explain further." He said. "You must understand, that although our ancestors shunned this heritage, this _part_ of them, it still remained dormant within their blood…as it rests within mine. As it rests within yours. Although weakened through the generations, it continues to grow within us…and as unlucky as it is…sometimes that dormant part of our ancestry is stronger in some of us, and we are cursed by it."

"Has that happened recently?" Itachi asked, although he hadn't entirely thought through all that his father had said to him yet, he reasoned that he would have enough time to think about it a little later on. Right then he wanted all that he could out of his father.

"Not recently." Fugaku looked directly at Itachi's solemn eyes and attempted to read them, but as always Itachi's eyes didn't give anything away, instead he only starred back as if attempting the same thing. The doubt was thick in Fugaku's eyes…and the moment that he noticed Itachi's eyes fall away from his, he realised that Itachi had come to the conclusion on his own.

"In a few nights' time you will go out with a few of your older cousins in order to test your skills. Normally we would wait until you were a little older, though you seem naturally gifted in such things so why bother waste anymore time." He stated almost as if it was a matter of fact, though Itachi's mind now dwelled elsewhere.

Nevertheless he nodded his head in understanding. "Of course, father."

"Good." Fugaku sighed. "We shall talk about this some other night. You may leave."

Itachi bowed his head as he climbed onto his feet. "Thank-you, father," he voiced before he left his father back to his writing, walking back to how he'd been sat at the lake those minutes prior.

Almost as if he'd not moved Itachi had set his sandals aside him as his feet were in the water, his eyes focused on the smooth ripples though his mind was elsewhere…scanning the words that his father had spoken…trying to read between the lines.

_He's doubtful of me. _Itachi had realised that as his fathers eyes had stared at him unblinking those moments ago. And although the whole blood drinkers heritage was entirely new to him, somehow he wasn't all that surprised. He'd reasoned for a while that it was something similar…yet why did his father not tell him until then? Why did he keep it a secret for so long? Why did the bedtime stories that he told Sasuke have those monsters riddled into them?

Itachi didn't want to believe what he thought, but it was the only reason he could think of. That his father worried that he had that curse. Although Itachi wasn't certain, he could only assume…but he didn't like to make assumptions, they were unsafe.

He couldn't reason that he was doing anything different to anyone else…that he was any different to Sasuke even…though that doubt that hung over his father was that his eldest son was stronger in his heritage than anyone else. Why was that? Was it because Itachi was a quick learner? That he was intelligent? Or had it something to do with how he acted in general? The type of person that he was moulding into…that he was different to the others…

Itachi had always seen himself almost as an outcast…and maybe his father's doubts and suspicions were the reason why he was treated so differently. Of course they praised him when needed; maybe it had always been to humour him? Just to make him believe that nothing was wrong when in fact they'd doubted him for years.

Itachi couldn't fathom it for the moment. For all he knew he was simply thinking too much about it, that he was taking it too far, making it deeper than it was. Though he felt in his heart that there had always been something amiss.

His wavering reflection in the lakes surface was but a shadow. The loom of the moon was beyond him now, and he was simply a blotch of black upon its face. Itachi felt saddened by it. That maybe his life was just a façade…only a shadow…that although they had lead him, they had strived upon his intellect and his strength that in all they'd never believed any of it…and simply humouring him as if humouring a child. How long had it been like that? He couldn't remember…but he reasoned that everyone was guilty of this…his father, his mother…the whole clan probably knew…aside from little Sasuke.

Sasuke couldn't know because Sasuke couldn't believe anything bad about his aniki. It didn't work like that, Itachi knew. Sasuke looked up to him, Sasuke strived to be like him…yet Itachi knew that the clan didn't pay half as much attention to Sasuke as they did to him. They were all keeping a close eye on him just encase he slipped up…of course they could be entirely wrong…they could simply be suffocating him without a true cause…Itachi could be entirely normal.

Itachi raised a hand to rub his tired eyes, yet upon his fingertips he felt the warmth of his tears…silent as they'd been he'd not even noticed, though he felt the pain of this betrayal deep within his heart. He hoped that he was wrong.

Fugaku watched Itachi closely from the top of the deck, looking down at the slouched figure of his eldest son; a crease marred his brows, a frown placed there, unable to be rid of the thoughts that plagued him. He too wanted to be wrong…though in those few nights time he would test Itachi…in hope that his suspicions were incorrect.

Yet over the years his hope had dulled, Itachi had always been too perfect. He'd worried for so long, and soon enough he would know the truth. He already suspected that he'd probably said too much. Itachi may already be entirely aware of what had been going on for so long, yet Fugaku felt that he'd had no choice. No other options. Itachi had always felt like a threat…Fugaku knew that he should never feel like that about his own son, and around Sasuke he didn't…yet Itachi's eyes were always watching always knowing. His mind always at work, always so aware…he managed to excel at everything…achieve so much in such a short time. Other's put through the same rigorous training as Itachi had been through didn't take their trial before they were fifteen, yet Itachi could surpass all of them and he was only twelve years of age.

He hoped greatly that Sasuke did not follow the blood stained path of his older brother, yet everyday Fugaku saw that love in Sasuke's eyes that only a little brother could have for his aniki. He adored Itachi, he worshipped him and hoped that he could become exactly like him. Sasuke only ever saw the side of the clan that praised Itachi, and maybe it was for Sasuke's sake that they didn't acknowledge him as much as they acknowledged his older brother.

_For once, Itachi…fail at something…prove to me that my suspicions are incorrect_. _A father should not have to bury his own son._

………………………………………………………………………………………

The morning had dawned darkly, the clouds were laden thickly in the sky above and although it called for it, Itachi couldn't get out of bed. He'd barely slept that night; he'd simply stared up blankly at the ceiling above…at the strange pattern that had been painted there on his ceiling along with the Uchiha fan.

He heard the commotion from outside his room, Sasuke wanted to come in and see if he was awake but his mother was almost firm against it…Sasuke only whined a little more before he eventually came to respect what his mother's wishes were and went away. Itachi realised he was probably making a grave mistake by acting oddly, but what more could he do? He had every right to be angry…every right to be upset…and yet he felt that by doing so he was letting his guard down…and if he was letting people in, giving them things to latch onto to prove their suspicions correct.

It was midday when Sasuke managed to sneak in, jumping onto his brother's futon and staring wide-eyed down at his brother. "You okay?"

"I'm just tired," Itachi replied, reaching forwards and running his hand through Sasuke's hair. "Sorry that I haven't gone out with you…I'll take you out riding later if you'd like?"

"Neah, it's alright…I'm just worried because aniki is never the last one out of bed." Sasuke remained as he was, his legs pulled up to his chin, his face resting upon his knees. Itachi brought himself to sit up and look at his brother with tired eyes, so weighted down by worry and guilt that threatened to smother him.

"Sorry, Sasuke," Itachi said. "I don't mean to worry you."

"You don't mean to do a lot of things," Sasuke smiled, his small face bright for a moment, his eyes gently shut. "Aniki hasn't been himself lately."

So Sasuke had noticed too.

"I haven't?" Itachi raised a dark brow and looked curiously over his brother; no doubt his reasons for believing this would be different as to the answers that his father could provide for him.

"_Noooo_," Sasuke shook his head, dark hair messy and draped over his large glassy eyes. "Aniki's been really quiet…well quieter than aniki usually is…and aniki has been sitting alone…and aniki has had a sad look on his face." He pointed out, putting out a hand and singling out a finger, poking Itachi's nose. "Actually," he paused. "Aniki's face has always been sad…why is aniki's face always sad?"

Itachi laughed gently at this small comment made, taking hold of Sasuke's small hand and lowering it from his face so that he could see his bother better. "My face isn't always sad."

"Most of the time it is. Aniki always looks like he's worried. Won't you tell me what's wrong?" Sasuke asked, putting his hand back into the fold beneath his chin and upon his knees. He looked at his brother almost carefully, trying to figure out the look in his eyes but he didn't seem to be getting anywhere.

"Aniki just has a lot on his mind." Itachi sighed.

"Has it got to do with what papa said to you last night?" Itachi wondered when Sasuke would bring that up.

"It does." Itachi answered honestly. "He told me that in a few days time I will have to go away with some of our cousins. I shouldn't be more than a night, though." Itachi said out of comfort after catching the surprise in Sasuke's eyes. "Don't worry, you'll be asleep when I leave and when I return. You'd hardly notice I was even gone."

"Where are you going?" he inquired, his eyes focused now, entirely. Itachi too felt wide awake although the night time had long since been, he'd barely slept more than two hours the whole time.

"I'm not certain yet."

"Why are you going?"

"Papa wants to see if I'm strong." Itachi had to choose his words carefully…though for himself more so than for Sasuke. Sasuke wouldn't understand anything else. Sasuke smiled at the answer given to him though, as if it had been a surprise.

"Of course aniki is strong." He laughed. "I can tell papa how strong aniki is…but I thought that papa already knew."

"Papa only wants to make sure." Itachi answered, unable to think of anything more that he could say. "Are you going to be doing anything today, Sasuke?" Itachi had decided on changing the subject. The only way that he felt he could escape the one-sided awkwardness of their conversation. Sasuke simply shrugged casually, not a single thought truly plagued his innocent mind.

"I don't think so…" he replied. "I think mama is going to walk to the village today. I might go with her."

"Are you going to help mama?" Itachi asked with a subtle smile that was only ever meant and seen by his little brother.

"I'm going to protect mama." Sasuke answered.

"Protect her? What are you protecting her from?"

"Monsters." Sasuke replied as if it had been the most obvious thing in the world. He gawked up at Itachi as if he couldn't believe that he'd asked that question. Itachi played along.

"Oh of course, monsters. Its just that I never thought that they would ever attack mama or go anywhere near her with you around. Good thinking, otouto." Itachi's lips pulled into the same smile his fingers tousling Sasuke's spiky hair as that cheeky and proud grin danced upon his bothers face and glowed in his large black eyes.

"Mhm, I'll protect mama." He said with pride. "I'll show papa that I'm strong too."

"Papa knows that you're strong." Itachi told him.

"Will he test me too?" Sasuke asked, looking up eagerly into Itachi's eyes. Itachi felt a stab of guilt again, filling his body, making his heart ache.

"Maybe." Was all of the answer that he could give his brother without wholly lying.

"I like it when papa treats us the same." Sasuke beamed, catching Itachi somewhat off guard. That smile of his brother's brought warmth to his otherwise cold heart. He wished he could speak with Sasuke about everything…he wished that he didn't have to lie…to dye the truth…but he was a protector…and if there was anything - _anyone­ _- that he wanted to protect it was Sasuke.

"Doesn't he always treat us the same?" Itachi questioned, wondering where Sasuke was going with it.

"_Nooo_," Sasuke drawled, sticking out his bottom lip, his eyes suddenly sad. "Papa ignores me a lot."

_He ignores you because he's keeping an eye on me…_Itachi's head spun. He didn't want this for his otouto. He knew Sasuke was loved…and he knew that his parents didn't worry about Sasuke…no doubt he would become a strong whatever-it-was-that-his-father-wanted…while he on the other hand was being watched so closely that no one ever paid any heed to Sasuke. Itachi had always felt watched, always felt that he'd needed to be the best that he could be because that was what everyone wanted…_wasn't it?_ That was why everyone looked at him the way that they did…_right_?

"Do you want me to speak with papa?"

"No…papa will get angry."

"Why do you think that?" Itachi raised a curious brow. He'd not known Sasuke to look so saddened before.

"Papa only ever talks to me when he gets angry…because I do something wrong."

"Is that why you protect mama all the time?"

"I don't think papa likes me as much as he likes you."

The stabbing pain in Itachi's chest only grew worse minute by minute. The look on Sasuke's face was crushing; he honestly felt it as physical pain. He wanted so much to tell Sasuke the truth…to tell him that he had it all backwards…that there was almost no love between he and his father…there was no trust and no bond…only suspicion. Itachi could not crush Sasuke's world like that.

"Papa loves you very much Sasuke. He knows that you're strong…he just doesn't show it very well." Itachi attempted to be comforting yet he felt as though he had failed at it. Sasuke's face remained glum, much to his dismay. Itachi couldn't think of anything more that he could say.

"Sasuke are you in there?"

The both of them turned their heads towards the screen door. The silhouette of their mother resided upon the other side, her voice had been put a gentle whisper as if she feared to wake her eldest son.

"Yes, he's in here with me." Itachi voiced so that Sasuke wouldn't get into trouble. "You may enter, mother," he added.

She slid the door aside and her face appeared, her dark eyes searching for Sasuke as he sat at the side of his aniki's futon. "Good afternoon, Itachi," she said with a fake kind of smile that Itachi was used to, though when she turned her attention to Sasuke it became genuine and shone also in her eyes. Itachi wondered what it felt like to feel accepted.

"I'm going to go into the village now, Sasuke-chan. Are you going to come with mama?"

"Hai!" Sasuke announced, a hand in the air as he jumped up onto his feet. "Bye-bye, aniki!"

"Bye-bye, Sasuke."

……………………………………………………………………..

Alone in the mansion with his father, Itachi believed that he could simply avoid him as he usually did and went about his own business, reading scrolls and studying as he sometimes did before he wished to take refuge down at the lake again.

Though when Itachi arrived, he saw at the head of the deck was his father. Fugaku held his back to his son, his arms folded into the sleeves of his brown yukata, his long hair loose and taken by the wisp of the wind. Itachi stood motionless for a moment or two, questioning whether he should continue…wondering if his father would continue their conversation from the night before…but he didn't want to risk it or tempt to incur the wrath of his stern father.

"I've decided that it shall be tonight."

Itachi looked back down at this father…uncertain if he'd spoken or not, though he listened again, watching his father to see if he spoke again. He did so, momentarily.

"Your cousins, Kin, Nakatsu and Keigo will accompany you to a dwelling where a blood drinker is said to roam." He glanced over his shoulder, barely glancing at Itachi before he looked ahead of him again. Itachi turned fully back towards his father, many questions flooded his mind, but he could say little.

"Of course, father." He replied and walked away…fear swelling in his every fibre of his being that of all things he couldn't allow his father to feel. Dread issued his thoughts and Itachi felt that pain in his heart grow…being subjected to such a thing he could tolerate…but being watched closely as if a subject of an experiment did not suit him at all. He was worried about failing…or was it succeeding? He couldn't tell anymore.

The night seemed to fall to sternly…to quickly for Itachi. The entire complex was on edge, and at its apex the central manor, Itachi dressed into the clothes that his father had left out for him, Sasuke watching him closely as he sat aside of Itachi's writing desk having returned from the village with their mother. Sasuke had asked continuously what Itachi was going to do, but Itachi only replied that it was a secret, trying to stir Sasuke away, make it seem as if it were a harmless game…but it soon grew serious as Itachi slung onto his back a short bladed katana.

"Are you going to take anything else with you?" Sasuke wondered as Itachi wrapped the heavy shroud around his shoulders, holding it back with a pin that was carved and painted with the Uchiha-fan and let it hang upon his narrow shoulders. He felt almost small wearing those clothes…all of the black and the strange sandals that his father had given him…all of it seemed too unusual for him. He did not feel comfortable wearing them.

"I don't think so, otouto." Itachi replied honestly, tying back his hair from his face as much as he could, yet dark bangs still covered his eyes.

"No food?"

"No food."

"But you didn't eat anything a dinner…" Sasuke pouted, his eyes darkening, his arms crossed.

Itachi dropped his head, his back turned towards his brother. He'd lost his appetite earlier that day; unable to think straight…he feared that night he may make a serious blunder. "Then fetch me an apple." He said, glancing over his shoulder towards his brother, a faint smile toying with his lips.

Sasuke smiled somewhat, and nodded his head rushing towards the screen door, only to have it opened just as his hands were placed upon it. He jumped back somewhat, Itachi turned around, picking up the last part of his uniform…a white wooden mask, shaped like the face of an animal, coated in a red pattern.

"Itachi-san," Itachi looked over the tall form of one of the three who would be out with him that night. The stern face of his eldest cousin Nakatsu loomed over him, dressed in a similar uniform, the mask also ready in hand. His other cousins stood ominously at Nakatsu's sides. The brothers Keigo and Kin, their masks they wore though angled so that their faces weren't entirely covered.

"I will be with you momentarily." Itachi said as Sasuke stared up at the three cousins that he recognised, yet their eyes shone as if they did not know him anymore. As if they were different people. They watched his aniki as if suspecting him…of what Sasuke couldn't know.

"Very well," Nakatsu bowed his head in a sign of mock-respect and shut the screen door behind him as he walked away with the other two. A strange longing gripped at Itachi's soul, and he felt Sasuke's tug upon his hand.

"Don't go with them, aniki," Sasuke pleaded. "You mustn't."

"Of course I must," Itachi replied, squeezing Sasuke's hand in return. "I shall be back before you rise tomorrow. I promise you that."

"Aniki…" Sasuke lowered his head and pulled his hand away from Itachi's. "Are you going to fight monsters?"

Itachi's throat was suddenly dry. Though the calmness of Sasuke's face, the sadness that loomed there, Itachi knew that he couldn't lie to him, not now. "I am going to protect my most important person."

"Your most important person? Who's that, aniki?" Sasuke's black eyes looked back up to his brothers. Itachi placed his gloved hand upon his brother's head and his lips curled into a somewhat genuine smile.

"The person of which I care about the most in the world. The person of which I shall protect with my very life…the person who I will fight Death to protect. The person of which I love with all of my heart." Itachi knelt down on his knees and knelt ahead of Sasuke so that they were eye level. "My little brother." He answered to Sasuke's confused face, only causing him to blush. Itachi lifted his hand and gently poked Sasuke in the forehead with his index and middle finger before once again coming back onto his knees.

"I'll see you in the morning, otouto."

Sasuke didn't hold onto his brother any longer, only watched him as he walked away, taking his brother's promise entirely to heart. Itachi had never let him down before; Sasuke didn't think that he would start now.

Itachi took that apple before he left, showing Sasuke as he waved them off from the front of the mansion as the twilight fell upon them. Itachi was stood between his older cousins, the masks of Keigo and Nakatsu lowered, they did not look back, though Kin hung back with Itachi a little longer, his pallid face still shone from beyond the white of the mask and the black of his lengthily hair. Itachi did not speak or say a word to Kin as maybe he would have in any other situation in order to seem approachable, but in such a situation he felt that it simply was not needed.

He pulled the mask down over his face as they brought him into the dense woodland that surrounded the complex, he wasn't certain where they were heading or if indeed he'd been fooled into something…but he followed them, as they were a silent troop…and soon enough he had to expose his capabilities as the three of them jumped to the trees as silent as the breeze, and he too had to follow them to those new heights. He managed to keep up with them.

Itachi had not questioned any further. They kept to the shadows and they didn't make a single sound, uncertain of how things such as that worked, Itachi felt entirely isolated although it was Keigo who was bringing up the rear. The silence of the forest worried Itachi, and at the speed that they were travelling he couldn't help but wonder how far it was they were already from the Uchiha complex.

Miles had seemed to have gone by. Itachi felt the sky had blackened entirely before Nakatsu had even given the slightest sign to him that he knew where he was going. The silence had been almost numbing, Itachi felt that his ears were picking up the noises of everything around him and yet he could hear nothing at the same time…when they'd come to a momentary stop, perched upon a heavy branch that seemed more like a trunk in the denseness of the ancient forest, Itachi reached beneath his mask in order to wipe his brow dry of cold sweat. He took a heavy breath before Nakatsu spoke.

"There is a ravine a few more miles to the north of here. At its depths the river is dry as it has been for years and it was here that Yachiru-san found those remains a few days ago. In the cave at the head of the ravine is where the blood-drinker is said to haunt." He explained, at least Itachi knew a little more now. He looked through the eyes that his mask had offered him, noticing for the first time the different faces of the animals that looked back at him. To his left was Keigo, his white and red mask depicted what Itachi thought was a dragon, Nakatsu's ahead of him appeared more like a mask of a samurai, painted in a brutal scowl, while Kin to his right looked at him through the mask of a wolf. He'd neglected to notice his own…and even as Nakatsu continued to speak, Itachi found that his mind was elsewhere.

"Itachi-san," Itachi looked towards the voice, and there was a nervous 16-year-old Kin staring at him through a half raised mask. Itachi looked him in the eyes, seeming to be caught off guard for a moment…a flash of red bled into the eyes of his cousin before it vanished. "We're to round to the other side of the ravine. Did you hear?"

"Aa…" Itachi nodded his head, and solemn Kin lowered his mask again and stood onto his feet. Itachi followed in his footsteps, Kin asked no more and said no more, only lead the way.

Within a few minutes - thirty at the most - Itachi watched as the ravine appeared ahead of them in the black of night. He felt a tug upon his soul, a lust that filled him as if he was ready for the hunt to finally begin. A blood drinker…he'd never met or even seen one, so how was he to know what to expect? The idea of it beat him into excitement…and he was ready for it in his heart…though how was he to prove himself? His father had not said, and he supposed that was the point.

"There," Itachi saw it as he and Kin appeared above the rise of the ravine before it fell a good twenty feet into blackness, yet the moon helped them, and a small amount of light reached the bottom, showing them what they'd been looking for.

"I see it," Kin whispered and reached the ledge as his eyes searched the other side, watching as a small light flickered to signal that Keigo and Nakatsu had also reached the other side. Kin reached into his cloak and from a pouch brought out a tiny flare and lit it so to make his brother and cousin aware of their arrival.

"Let's go," Kin put the flare away after the other one vanished, and he stepped towards the edge. He did not look back at Itachi though he followed and came to the edge also, looking down as the moon over head was taken by looming clouds and blackness descended over the lands. Itachi wondered how they were going to get down, wondered what was beyond that darkness and how he would confront this creature that supposedly haunted there.

Kin suddenly seemed to vanish over the edge of the ravine…almost to Itachi's horror…though once he gawped over the edge he saw that the edges of the ravine sloped inwards becoming narrower the further down it got. Kin was sliding and silently jumping down the side of the dusty walls…no doubt the others were doing the same. Itachi readied himself, and soon he followed.

It was as black as he'd expected it to be down there. He could barely see anything ahead of him, only kept low as he skulked along the bottom of the ravine, feeling the dust crunch beneath his feet, rising to the air like a muddy cloak in order to smother him. Kin was ahead of him again, keeping to the side of the ravine much as he was as they approached a boulder where the others were awaiting them.

Itachi barely knew what was happening…he still felt that cold sweat lingering upon his fingertips and his brow; if not for the mask then he was almost certain that the others would have noticed also. There seemed to be no movement around them…yet so far as they'd travelled they'd been silent and stealthy, making the best of their abilities.

Itachi did not feel comfortable, the uneasiness that had been building only doubled when he felt a shiver rise up his spine…glancing behind him into the blackness of the ravine, almost certain that he'd seen the pale sheen of blue.

Again Nakatsu was talking, and yet Itachi couldn't hear his words. Kin glanced back towards Itachi again, noticing that he was facing the blackness behind them…he too had felt a shiver…and doubt had formed at the back of his mind. He put out his hand and took Keigo's wrist, and both Keigo and Nakatsu turned to look at Kin. Their eyes searched behind their masks…and in the still of the blackness they watched as something small hovered towards them.

At once Itachi saw that it was a small bird. From the distance it looked as if it was in a daze, moving up and down as it flew towards them…and none of them could make sense of it. Kin shuffled back, Nakatsu was uneasy about it and he too moved backwards, taking hold on Keigo as they moved further back…though before they'd moved far enough away, the flying bird settled just head of them in the gloom…and as the clouds allowed the moon passage into the ravine…Itachi noticed it was made of out clay before without warning the bird roared into an explosion and blasted them back against the rough ravine walls.

Itachi's mask flung from his face, half in shards, he choked on his own blood as his back hit the ravine wall and his blood spluttered from his lips, causing his sight to fail steadily…his breathing becoming thick. He couldn't see through the darkness around him where the others had fallen or even if they were still alive…although he'd been closest to the bomb when it had exploded he'd had further to fly before he hit a wall…the others may have landed more awkwardly or rougher than he.

Itachi fell forwards, his torn cloak fell from him and he left it behind, his body covered in scrapes and blood and bruises as he fell onto his hands and knees…blood fell from his lips again and it was painful to breathe. Itachi managed to glance up momentarily as the moonlight flooded the ravine once more…able to see ahead of him a tall hooded figure…his cloak decorated in strange red clouds that remained ominous in the eerie light of the moon. Itachi's dull eyes showed the ache and strain of his body, he felt a burning in his chest as the blood ran from cuts on his face…he felt the wood of the half destroyed mask beneath his bare fingertips.

The figure did not look towards him or even glance down upon him…yet even in the thickness of the tension and fear that throbbed through his body Itachi strained to hear…there were words passing between the cloaked figure and someone else…Itachi saw almost at once the hunched figure of Kin.

"…didn't have to blow us up." He managed to catch a bit of it, Itachi shut his eyes, a pain at the back of his head alerted him to another injury and more blood fell from his lips…dripping from the cuts beneath his eyes like bloody tears.

"I couldn't help myself…hm." The voice had come from the cloaked figure…male, at least that's what Itachi thought. He swallowed hard, tasting the bitter copper of his own blood as he attempted to stop himself from choking on it. "Now get out of my way, hm. You're of no use to me anymore."

"You can't just throw me aside…" Kin's voice was small his words almost painful. "You…you promised me that you would help me…I cannot return to them like this."

"Then don't, hm. Like I said. You're no use to me anymore, and you're not my problem, either." Itachi looked up, trying to figure out what was happening, and yet it didn't take him long. Kin had the blood curse, Kin had sold them out to this vampire so that he may have help…and now he was being deceived. Itachi steadily brought himself to his feet, falling against the rough wall of the ravine though his eyesight cleared and adjusted to the shadows around him.

"Besides," the stranger's voice said again. "You - Uchiha Kin, are not the Uchiha that Leader-sama wants. You are nothing but a weak branch member…and the source of which I search for, is far stronger than you, hm."

Itachi looked towards Kin, he was gripping his bleeding side and yet within one moment his eyes blood red clashed with Itachi's own black ones, and before he could realise it Kin held onto Itachi and held on _firmly_, forcing Itachi back down onto his knees.

"What are you doing now, hm?" asked the stranger, his voice laced with annoyance. "You won't kill him, will you? Though the lust in your eyes is telling me that you really want to, hm?"

Itachi remained frigid. His breathing had deepened and his head pulled back with Kin's hand upon his chin, his blood coloured eyes staring at the stranger ahead of him, whist Itachi's own began to fail him again.

"You have nothing more to lose, hm? Since your brother and cousin are dead. I bet they knew what you were, hm? They hid it from everyone for you to keep you safe. And now you've betrayed them, shame on you, hm. Shame on you." He laughed, a beautiful bittersweet laugh that drove into Itachi's mind. He suddenly hated Kin. He suddenly loathed him…Kin had people who cared about him and protected him…he'd betrayed them. Itachi had no one who wasn't ready to force suspicions upon him, who wasn't ready to criticize and analyse his every movement and decision.

That anger and loathing burned in Itachi's heart…and before he'd realised it, his eyes were burning harshly staring up at Kin with a fierce hatred. His drooping arms lunged up at him, his knife in his hand and with one power-filled movement he was not only upon his feet, but Kin was beneath him, choking upon his own sweet blood. Itachi stared down at those blinking red eyes…watching the pattern within them as they faded and died, blood pouring from Kin's throat. Itachi pulled out the knife and staggered backwards as if only remembering his own wounds.

Time seemed almost to stand still…he looked up, his own crimson stained eyes met with an excited blue one, and before Itachi had managed to compose himself, the blue-eyed creature was upon him. Itachi's knife fell to the side, flung away as if by an invisible force. His back hit the rough ravine wall again with a heavy force as hands pressed against his sore shoulders, causing him to cough up blood again from his pained lungs.

A silent cry passed his lips as the shock riddled his painful body. Teeth tore at his exposed throat, and drew blood from the wound so quickly that within moments the pain seemed at an end…and yet the hands continued to hold him up. The blood red of his eyes faded back into black…the aching of his body drained away as the blood left him. His eyes saw nothing; his ears heard only the dying of his heart-beat.

Itachi believed that death was upon him…and in that time he realised that he'd broken his promise to Sasuke…his promise to return.

"Forgive me, otouto," Itachi whispered, blood falling from his lips, his eyes blank and dead as the blue eye that had taken his life from him stood back and left Itachi's body slumped against the dusty wall, his head drooped forward…his bloody chin upon his torso.

"Oops," the creature laughed. "Shouldn't have done that just yet, hm."

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Well that was chapter one. I hope that you guys enjoyed it because already I've started to figure out where this story is going :D. Sorry if you guys don't like flashbacks…but I think I want more people to understand what happened in the past, and certainly what happened to Itachi. More is on the way!

Thanks again, and I hope that I haven't made you wait too long for a sequel, since although I asked ALL OF YOU not to ask me for one, most if not all of you who reviewed the last chapter of _**Branded**_pretty much demanded for one.

I don't like demands, by the way.

As usual I will be updating at my own pace, I can't write unless I'm inspired - and you guys don't want a shitty story, do you?

Thanks again all of you who've read. And I would love it if all of you could review! :D it would make my day!!

Love from - Sabakukyuu17

25


	2. Vicious Haze

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And I bring to you, chapter two of _Broken, _sequel to _Branded_.

I've had to invent some more characters, only for the beginning, making up some more names for the Uchiha's. Also I gave Fugaku some brothers - didn't really think it would hurt, they're not in it very long…also think it makes Fugaku seem more human…hmm…yeah…lol.

Sorry, I don't have a beta – apologies for any stupid mistakes – trust me, they piss me off far more than they will you - :is a perfectionist:

Same disclaimer and warnings apply.

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Chapter Two

Vicious Haze

The night had passed dauntingly for Fugaku who'd been unable to sleep or rest in anyway as he awaited their return. He sat upon the wooden deck, listening to the tickling water of the small pond as it ran through small streams to anther one further down the garden. He listened to the crickets and to the call of the forest creatures as the moon became ominous above him, the clouds thickening as the night went along.

Soon the impending dawn was upon them, and his brothers had gathered there also, awaiting the returns of their sons. Yet they did not return.

The three fathers's dawned their own uniforms and masks as they made their way out into the dawn, seeking their sons and maybe their imminent dooms. Fugaku left before the rest of the household had awoken, before Sasuke had even rustled within his brother's futon.

Fugaku and his brother's feared the worst for their sons. And doubt - heavy doubt - had settled upon their minds, creasing Fugaku's already marred brow as the miles went by in silence, approaching the ravine as the dawn began to lighten their way.

Hijii, the father of Nakatsu, was angry with himself that he'd not gone with them…Nakatsu had argued that there would be nothing to be weary of that they would be safe…and of course Nakatsu had been the leader of such missions before and had always returned…yet Hijii along with his brothers were as anxious as they'd ever been before, and thoroughly restless at the idea of one of their own being of cursed blood. They'd had their eyes upon Itachi for many, many years.

Yet as they reached the ravine, Fugaku approached the side and peered down into the deep crevasse. The stillness of the waking world surprised him. The silence of the birds and wildlife that would usually be singing to the dawn were in total mourning. As if they too knew of the carnage below. Hijii and Katsuhiko looked towards Fugaku as if for guidance, their dark eyes shone with that weighty guilt. Fugaku shook his head.

The three of them descended into the ravine without anymore thought. Hijii flung aside his mask as he saw the destruction and scorch marks around him realising that there must have been an explosion, his black eyes soon found the blank eyes of Nakatsu, bloodied in a heap at the far end of the ravine. Keigo's body lay next to him.

There was nothing that they'd dreaded more…though their hardened faces shone with guilt and pain, they did not shed tears although they clutched at the bodies of their sons…Katsuhiko noticing that his youngest son, Kin, was nowhere in the ravine, though much more blood had been spilt.

"The blood-drinker took my son," Katsuhiko mouthed angrily, his smooth brow now creased into a deep frown, looking over the body of Keigo, his arms pulled behind him at awkward angles, his head twisted aside, his neck broken and doll eyes staring at the world in his death.

Fugaku felt loss for his nephews. And at the missing body of Kin he was curious…and yet it was only as the sun rose further into the beckoning sky that from within the shadows of the crevasse the blood drenched body of Itachi was revealed, his throat torn open and coated in dry blackened blood.

Fugaku removed his own mask as he knelt ahead of the body of his son. Itachi's chin was dropped against his torso, scrapes and burns lined his once white flesh, showing him as a small and fragile creature. Fugaku placed his hand beneath Itachi's chin and looked closer at the neck wound that had probably been the injury that had killed him…and was uncertain whether he felt anger or remorse.

Itachi's eyes were blank as they stared half lidded up at his father. Fugaku noticed the blood from cuts and scrapes that marred his flesh, noticing the half destroyed wooden mask of his sons that was broken into pieces not far from his body and that hefty pool of dried blood that had rested into the dust.

_The explosion must have caught them too off guard,_ Fugaku had realised. _No blood drinker uses such methods…none that we've come across_. He did not voice his thoughts, only continued to look over the body of his son, realising now that either way Itachi would have been killed. His death there proved to Fugaku that he didn't have the cursed blood…though if he'd returned with the others having heard their verdicts, Itachi would probably have been executed anyway. Fugaku could not know which one was better. Which one was worse? To lose his son to a blood drinker's wrath, or to lose his son to a blood drinkers curse.

He placed his hands over Itachi's eyes, taking a heavy breath after Katsuhiko had announced that he would return to the complex for help to bring them back with them. Hijii lay out the bodies of his nephew and his son side by side, complete sorrow was laced within his hardened eyes and as he rested beside them, he watched the form of his elder brother Fugaku as he knelt ahead of Itachi's body.

"He would have been a great hunter," Hijii said in attempt to comfort. "You would have been proud."

Fugaku nodded his head, his jaw firm. "No," he said. "I was already proud." Though, suddenly riddled with fear, Fugaku worried that he'd spoken too soon.

His eyes caught movement; Itachi's hand seemed to move, only to do so again not moments later. Hijii had not seen, and yet Fugaku's heart sunk further into sorrow.

Itachi had felt a deep longing beneath his flesh, though been unable to move. His whole body had been numbed, almost paralyzed by the pain that sweltered beneath his skin and burned in his veins like acid. His soul had been crying out in agony at the torment of the burning, and a pain remained just behind his eyes as if begging for him to open them, but he was entirely unable.

The dead sounds of the night held no comfort for him. Only when he heard the voice of the living did he feel his body beginning to move again. Inside he was still crying from the pain and the throbbing of his wounds, but he could say nothing, do nothing…yet he knew that someone was there.

In his heart there was no sense of right or wrong. Only his yearning body and a grave lust that he felt beginning to control him, able to sense the slightest movements around him, feel the dust against his flesh and bone…the aching within him he felt would not be soothed by any conventional means.

Then he heard a voice familiar to him. He felt a touch on his chin, his shoulder, his face. And he realised that it was his father talking. Itachi's body wanted to move. He wasn't dead…but he felt his eyes were open then had been shut. How could he not see? Even when open they had been blind…but how could that be?

His body was stiff yet he was intent on making it move…to show that he was awake…that he was alive. He heard more voices…then his father spoke again, calling out to Hijii, his brother, that Katsuhiko had been gone too long.

"…" Itachi moved his lips…moved his fingers again. He wasn't breathing…it was the sudden realisation of this that brought Itachi's body back to life again. Itachi's lungs filled with air his chest heaving suddenly as his head moved back against the ravine walls, sightless red eyes looking up at the skies as the shock sieved through his painful body like a disease.

Fugaku shut his eyes as he held onto Itachi's convulsing body, Hijii stood behind him, eyes broad and staring at the re-animated body of his most promising nephew. Pain once again struck his heart.

"You'd have been better off dead." He whispered, watching as Fugaku placed his hand over Itachi's red eyes, holding him and attempting to stop his struggle as shock took hold of the boy, and there was nothing more certain to it.

Fugaku knew that if any normal human was bitten by a blood drinker and _left_ to die, he or she would become a vampire servant, a creature entirely devoted to his or her master, almost a blood drinker, but not entirely…whereas if a Uchiha was left in such a situation no such thing would occur. They had the blood of the blood-drinker in them…it would not allow them to become servants…instead they would simply die - unless they were with cursed blood.

Itachi's dead heart had been a half a sign of hope to Fugaku although it had left him filled with dread and remorse…though now that life was once again flowing through the body of his eldest son, he knew that his worst fears were entirely true. It had always been apparent that Itachi's skill was exemplary…and it had even become clear that he was even able to come back from the dead. Something that no Uchiha could or should ever be proud of.

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Sasuke awoke the next morning, lying in a ball at the foot of his brother's futon…in hope of opening his eyes at the first sign of light over the lake and there Itachi would be…yet Sasuke woke in vein, and his small face became one of sadness and of worry. It wasn't long before he realised the reason why he'd woken. There was a heavy sound of voices outside, voices that made Sasuke frightened.

He clambered from his brother's bed and dragged aside the screen-door; the bustle was coming from not only his father's study but the main yard at the front of their complex. Almost uncertain what he should do, Sasuke remained motionless for a while, debating if he should go and find out or not…but the fear was growing in him…and he was worrying about Itachi. Had he come back?

Sasuke stepped out of the doorway and walked down the hallway towards where the sound was, the study door was shut, yet his mother was stood outside, her face filled with sadness, tears gleaming upon her smooth cheeks. Sasuke stopped and stared up at her…and he bit his lip as his eyes were glassy too.

"Mama…"

Mikoto blinked before she looked towards the voice and saw Sasuke stood a few feet from her, looking at her with gleaming black eyes. "Aw, chibi…" she went towards Sasuke and put out her arms, Sasuke took hold of her and was lifted into her arms, he clung onto her yukata as she began to carry him away. "Come along, Sasuke," she whispered, running her fingers through his short black hair. "We'll go and wait outside."

"Wait for what, mama?" he asked, pulling his face from her shoulder he looked her in the eyes again. She half smiled at him, but the sadness was still in her dark eyes.

"We have to wait for your father's decision, Sasuke."

"Papa's decision…? What is papa deciding, mama?"

Mikoto fell silent again, holding onto Sasuke with her gentle arms as the screen-door ahead of her lead them out onto the garden and further away from the echoing sounds of the questions and unsatisfactory answers. "Mama, where's aniki?"

"You can't see aniki right now, Sasuke." She told him, setting him down. "You have to be patient and wait with mama for a while, okay?"

"Un…" Sasuke bit his lips but nodded his head, although lowered as Mikoto took hold of his hand, leading him further away. The doubt and pain remained settled within her eyes as she led him away, almost unable to look back although her heart pained her to do so. Her other son was almost calling her back, a mothers instinct…she felt as if she'd betrayed him, that's she'd betrayed herself…was it too late now? For her affection? _Of course it is_…she thought sorrowfully to herself. _The time has past when he was in need of my love_.

Itachi's eyes were clear now…black as they gazed down at his bandaged hands. The beat of his heart was an unreal sound in his head…the banter that continued outside the walls of his little prison-chamber were arguing again…and arguing over him. He couldn't help but think that their argument was futile…and as the fear and anger began to climb higher and higher…Itachi's face remained as dull and as blank as a slate…all signs of life had left him the moment he'd realised that they'd been right about him…

His blood was cursed.

It almost didn't seem real. One moment he'd felt he'd been betrayed and misjudged all through his life watched closely like a rat in a maze, and yet now he realised that their speculations and suspicions about him had been entirely correct…and this angered him more than anything.

Did this mean that he'd failed?

Of course it did. He'd failed almost perfectly…and although at first he'd not understood it, the moment that it was explained to him about the situation he was in…that he'd come back from the dead, it had become more than obvious that he'd been doomed from the very beginning.

He'd not told them about Kin, either. He'd lied, told them that he couldn't remember anything after the explosion. They'd probably question him more if they weren't so focused on how they should re-act to the matter at hand.

Itachi felt no different than usual…albeit he was in pain, his muscles ached, his throat was dry, his body covered in cuts and bruises and clothed in crude off-white bandages. He felt deeply ill at ease, unsettled and sick in his heart…all he could smell was the gunpowder from the explosion and the scent of blood that he couldn't seem to wash from his skin.

Nakatsu and Keigo had died because of the explosion, but Kin had died by his own hand, hadn't he? Yet his uncle Katsuhiko hadn't been able to find the body of his son in the ravine. They thought that maybe the blood drinker had taken him. Itachi didn't think that was true, he wasn't entirely convinced after that of Kin's death…but he was certain that he wouldn't tell them anything unless they figured some of it out by themselves.

Itachi wondered about Sasuke. It was almost as though he was being haunted by him…he was alive, or at least he felt alive, but he was locked away, somewhere he didn't recognise and he didn't know when he would be getting out. The arguments above him only seemed to thicken and worsen, and although he wasn't able to pick out any individual voices Itachi knew that none of them held any hope for him. He wondered if there would be punishment. If there would be something in store for him…death? Would they kill him for being what he was? Through no fault of his own…?

Of course they would. Uchiha's did not suffer fools…and certainly did not tolerate vampires.

The feelings within him were numb. He supposed that they'd always been bias towards him; they'd made him an outsider before they'd had any proof. He'd never really stood a chance against them…not since their suspicions had first begun. And what had he done, honestly? What had he done to cause this suspicion? He'd been good. Too good? Was there such a thing? _Perfection?_ He'd heard the word echoed around before, and now it burned within him like his acid blood.

The taste of it was still on his tongue. The scent of gunpowder seemed to haunt him much like his brother's eyes. Dread filled his body…was he brave to be sat in such silence? His soul was in tears. His heart was dull and empty, his words would be blunt and effortless…he'd nothing to fight for - they would take it all.

So easily had he began to think of himself as an enemy, an outsider…and yet what made them any better than the blood drinker he'd been approached by in the night prior? They now wanted to kill him…_no_…he was wrong. The blood drinker hadn't killed him.

_Why?_

The question played with his mind…why had he not been killed…? What had the blood drinker meant when he'd spoken to Kin? Leader-sama? Who was that, and why did they want an Uchiha…? Was that Uchiha him?

He lifted his fingers gingerly to his bandaged throat. The wound wouldn't stop throbbing…and the strange unsettling feeling he felt deep within him made his toes curl. He shut his eyes; the light seemed to hurt them now, although in his dark chamber there was very little if only from the small oil-lamp that he'd been left with. The memory of that single blue eye flashed ahead of him, and he felt as if he needed to know a name to go with that bright blue eye…he'd never seen eyes that colour before. Would he die before he'd learn more about him?

He felt as though he should probably be angry with himself for thinking like that. For thinking of a blood drinker, and yet his thoughts were his own. He was being treated like a blood drinker, what fault should he feel? He was among enemies; he was surrounded by those who would wish great harm upon him.

Then something else came to mind…would he allow them to kill him?

Itachi could fight. He was strong, stronger than a lot of his clan, but would they be ready for him…? Could he honestly kill them as they probably planned to kill him? In cold blood no doubt, one swift slice with a katana and they'd burn his body and burry the ashes away from the scared ground…the hatred within him burned deeper and deeper. Growing harsher and harsher. He would defend himself…at least, he hoped he would.

What else could he think? He wouldn't dare think of himself as weak. He was _not_ weak, he'd never been weak…he'd always been strong, he'd always been aware…he'd always known…yet the truth had always evaded him. Had his life been built up on lies? Of course they had…the love that his parents felt for him…that was a lie, their smiles and their thanks and their praise…all of it had been a lie.

But Sasuke was not a lie.

Sasuke was the only person who never thought any bad thought about Itachi. Sasuke was the only person who really and honestly cared about him. Itachi felt a stab of guilt again at the thought of Sasuke…if he wanted to keep that love between them then he would have to tell more lies. It was a painful idea…but no doubt Sasuke too would see him as a monster if he knew. He didn't want Sasuke to know. He couldn't.

Lost in his reverie Itachi hadn't noticed when the screen-door had opened, and his father appeared within, stood at the far end of the room, avoiding eye-contact with him. Eventually Itachi looked up, his eyes glazed, empty. His dry lips were parted, yet he closed his mouth and looked back down to his bandaged hands again after lowering one of them down from his throat.

"You are allowed to leave, Itachi," Fugaku said, startling Itachi, causing him to look up again, though his eyes did not show any sign of his surprise. "But you are not to leave the grounds of the complex…not until we've reached a final verdict."

So the Uchiha's had spoken. They trusted him enough to allow him free-reign within the complex…and yet he was still a prisoner. Itachi nodded his head and his father left without saying anything more. Itachi didn't know where to start…what should he do?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sasuke hadn't questioned his mother further…but he's watched her closely and at the sadness that shone within her eyes as they walked along the outline of the complex, though never actually leaving it. Sasuke looked towards the mass of buildings every now and again, hopeful as if he would see Itachi any moment and all would be explained to him…but he kept his mouth shut…and Itachi didn't appear.

Though Fugaku was stood ahead of the complex with a few men that Sasuke realised where his uncles and cousins and other members of the Uchiha clan - some that he couldn't even put a name to. He noticed that his father's face was as stern as always, as solid as Itachi's was…Itachi looked almost exactly like his father, but every time he looked at them he saw different things.

To him Itachi was his hero. Itachi whom he looked up to and loved so dearly - just like everyone else…but at the same time he was always annoyed by Itachi…how everyone paid so much attention to him…and yet when he looked at his father he didn't really feel much either…he wanted to be noticed by his father but he felt that it would never happen.

He wondered what had happened. If Itachi was safe…and why he hadn't been there when he'd woken up like he'd promised. Of course Itachi often broke his promises…but Sasuke had always forgiven him…though that time, he didn't think that he could or would forgive Itachi if he didn't show up.

When his mother finally let him go back to the house, she smiled weakly at him and nodded her head. Sasuke didn't know why she looked so sad, but his heart was throbbing in his chest…he felt as if something awful had happened…that no one was telling him about. He ran back to the mansion with heist, his black eyes glassy and round…what weren't they telling him? Where was Itachi? Was he safe? Was he alive?

Sasuke choked back tears, wiping his face clean of them though his eyes were already red and swollen. He opened the screen-door into the mansion, noticing that all of the yelling and arguing had stopped, that a kind of eerie silence hung over the complex…and rushing towards Itachi's room he yanked the screen-door aside with all of the strength that he could muster, and he allowed his tears to fall although he didn't know why he was crying…he leapt towards Itachi, wrapping his arms around his brother's waist and sobbed.

Itachi placed his hand upon Sasuke's head, listening to his brother as he tried to muffle his sobs, trying to be brave. Itachi didn't know why Sasuke was crying…but for some reason he smiled. Sasuke was probably the only person who would ever be honestly happy to see him.

"What's wrong, otouto?" Itachi whispered, managing to get down onto his knees, Sasuke wrapped his arms tightly around Itachi's neck and sobbed into his shoulder, taking deep breathes as he attempted to calm himself.

Sasuke didn't answer him, only continued to cry, his shoulders shaking. Itachi didn't pressure him into answering, just held onto him, wrapping his arms around Sasuke's small body as he knelt there, feeling the warmth of the tears soaking through his white yukata and onto his white flesh. He waited until Sasuke had stopped crying and calmed himself down before he said anything again. "What's wrong?"

Sasuke brought himself away, slowly sinking down onto his knees as he looked down into his lap, rubbing his red eyes dry of tears with a small white fist. His shoulders still shook a bit when he started sobbing again; he sniffed and then looked up through his floppy bangs at his aniki and felt as though he wanted to cry again. He'd not noticed the bandages, cuts and bruises the first time around, but now he saw it, he saw all of the bandages and the marred flesh of Itachi's face. He put out a small hand and raised it to Itachi's cheek, running his fingers over the small healing scrapes that ran along Itachi's face, only the right side, where the mask had been blown off during the explosion.

"What happened, aniki?" he asked, his voice was quiet, he bit his lips and looked over the bandages around Itachi's throat, all the way down to his chest and to his hands.

Itachi looked at Sasuke's bewildered face, wondering how he should reply. He could only think of lies. He felt again that pain stabbing at his heart, but he couldn't tell Sasuke what really happened…"I'm sorry, otouto," he apologised trying to smile, he weakly managed it but it was genuine enough. "I must look awful."

"How are you feeling? Does it hurt?"

Itachi shook his head. "It doesn't." he lied. The aching and the beating still grew within his body, he still felt anxious, his neck-wound was throbbing the most. "I'll be fine." He lied again.

Sasuke's face fell dark; he lowered his hands to his lap, gripping onto his yukata sleeves nervously. His lips began to tremble. "Did…did the monsters do this to aniki?"

"Yes," Itachi told him the only thing he could tell him. "But I'm fine. I got away." He wanted to put out his hand, to pat Sasuke on the head, to reassure him, but he couldn't do such a thing, he didn't feel as though he was able...he didn't want to taint Sasuke any further.

"I will protect aniki until he gets better." Sasuke looked up suddenly, eyes bright and hopeful, staring at Itachi with worry, but trying to mask it with bravery. Itachi's face was blank for a moment, but he smiled and nodded his head.

"I couldn't have asked for anything more."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Nearly a week had passed before Itachi couldn't take it anymore.

The rest of the clan still watched him like a hawk…and he spent every single waking hour he had with Sasuke, reading with him and playing games with him and talking with him, doing anything and everything that he could in order to keep the memory of Sasuke alive within himself…so that he didn't feel so isolated, so alone. Sasuke was the only person he could love, for everyone else there was only a deep and bitter hatred that they'd brought him to feeling through their suspicions and their judgements and speculations.

The broken trust.

No, it had never really been there to begin with.

With every sleepless night that passed, the dark-rings around Itachi's eyes grew darker and hollow, his eyes were empty, and so had his smile become as such. The watchful eyes around him…they didn't even trust him with Sasuke anymore.

They had plans to take Sasuke away from the complex in a few days time so that he would be safe. Itachi felt a part of him die when he heard that, he began to tremble in silent rage, unable to believe that he was simply tolerating it…he wasn't a threat to Sasuke. They should be worried for their own lives.

The deep agitation that he felt didn't end either…that feeling that made his toes curl continued to gnaw at him like a poison…he couldn't stay inside anymore…it was as if there was something inside of him that was attempting to get out…and the more he tried to fight it the more painful it became. Eating away at his very soul at all there was of him until he felt he was only a shell of his former self.

The night was thick with clouds, it was dark as pitch and the grass was damp upon his bare feet as he staggered away from the complex across the grasslands and towards the forests at the edge of the hidden estate…he wasn't going to leave…he just wanted to get away. He gripped onto the front of his yukata, feeling suffocated, dropping down onto his knees and resting against the tough bark of a tree somewhere deep within the forest on the edge of the estate.

The sounds all around him seemed to echo through his mind. He took deep and heavy breaths, trying to calm his thundering heart, and yet it would not be stable. The forest was alive and moving around him, dark and crowded and he felt he would stop breathing any moment. He tore at the bandages around his chest and throat, the wound wasn't healed but was healing…it throbbed and ached and he felt as if death was awaiting him again.

Pulling his knees up to his chest, his toes curled as his knuckles turned white. His eyes were shut with such force, and he even managed to block out all of the heavy sounds of the forest as if he were deaf…and he still felt no peace, no silence. His heartbeat was thick and unyielding.

Then a voice…single and amused managed to surpass everything…even the sound of his heart.

"Its like poison, isn't it?" Itachi opened his eyes, but all around him was dark, it took a while for his eyes to become accustomed to the blackness around him…he felt his heart sink, and he almost gave up all hope of escape as that single blue eye shone from the blackness…Itachi dropped his arms limply to his sides and weakly he climbed up onto his feet, his body coated in a cold sweat that he wiped from his face and sore neck.

"I shouldn't have taken blood from you, hm." The voice continued, obviously amused. "Now I find myself coming back for more…but it looks like by hunting you, I've found the Uchiha complex. Funny how that happens, hm." The figure walked further forwards to where a tiny amount of blue-ish light shone through the small gap in the canopy above. Itachi blinked slowly, all of his motions were sluggish and heavy, he would have fallen to his knees again only that he managed to catch himself at the last moment and grabbed onto the tree.

He didn't really listen to the words of the blue-eyed figure ahead of him, only that when he looked over next he'd drawn back his black hood, and brilliant blonde hair flowed over his shoulders, covering the other half of his face, some of it tied back in a sort of loose top-knot.

Itachi had never seen hair that colour before…just like those blue eyes. The slender face of the blue eyed man adorned a smirk with a simple curl of the lip. He remained drenched in that hazy blue light, Itachi felt totally at his whim…he felt entirely useless as he was.

"Poor little, Uchiha." The figure approached and almost as if it was an automatic reaction Itachi found himself moving away from the tree and back into the thicket of the forest, although unable to see very far ahead of him he continued to move away, trying to pull back his strength and ignore the pain for a little longer.

He didn't get far before he crashed onto his knees again, his legs and feet bleeding from walking along sharp debris of twigs and stones. He clutched onto his throbbing neck-wound, it seemed to be sending sharp pains through his head and it only seemed to be getting worse.

"Tut-tut." The figure crouched ahead of him, waggling a gloved finger almost playfully. "I was only going to offer to take that pain away, hm." He sat back on his feet, his arms crossed upon his knees as he looked Itachi in the eye.

Black met blue.

His face remained smiling, taunting and painful as Itachi attempted to read him, but couldn't think passed the pain. "You don't need to fight me, hm. If anything I'm your friend…I'm the same as you, _well_ more or less."

"Why?" Itachi managed to voice. "Why…this pain…?"

"Let me make it go away." He said again, his face suddenly entirely serious. Itachi didn't even question it any further…he couldn't take it anymore. He nodded his head. The figure smiled and nodded his head, too. "Good, hm. Now shut your eyes."

Itachi did as he was told, his heart sinking further and further into despair…trying not to think about what was going to happen. He felt the creature advance on him, felt himself drop limply into his arms as they embraced him, taking the unravelled bandages away from his body and putting them aside. A gloved hand rested behind his head, through his loose hair, his body flinched, almost convulsed…the pain still there, throbbing and ebbing away his life.

"Good, hm…" whispered the voice to his ear. Itachi swallowed hard, flinching again as he left lips hovering over the wound on his throat. His hands reached out and clutched onto the clothes of the blue-eyed creature…remembering the feeling of those fangs against his throat from the night at the ravine. He didn't move again, only clenched his jaw, breathing harshly as once again those teeth tore down into his throat, breaking again the wound and blood poured from it.

Itachi remembered the pain…though that time…it seemed only brief and nothing compared to the aching and throbbing he'd been feeling all that time. In fact it felt wonderful…like a release, as if all of the pain was leaving his sore and aching limbs, draining away with all of the sorrow he felt in his heart.

The numbness brought him that sense of peace that he'd been longing for…smooth hair he felt against his face, the world around him was falling away and although he felt the life leaving him he'd never felt so alive…so calm and at ease…this blood drinker was not his enemy…though nor was he a friend. Itachi could barely tell friend from foe anymore and he wasn't so certain if he wanted to.

Deidara looked over the neat little body of the Uchiha prodigy that he'd been sent to find…and here he was in his arms…and the taste of his heated blood upon his lips had never been so wonderful. He lowered Itachi's body down onto the grass, his eyes were shut, he was out cold. Deidara sat back on his heels, licking his lips and savouring the taste of the blood that now ran through his heated veins.

Wrapping the bandages back around Itachi's bleeding throat Deidara's lips curled once again into a smirk as an artistic idea popped into his head. He took Itachi's limp body into his arms and looked out onto the complex that he'd managed to stumble upon. With the scent of Itachi's blood leading him he'd managed to find it hidden away within the mountains and forests…they'd been searching for it for years and now it seemed they were in luck.

It would certainly not end there. Not now.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The sun did not rise with ease the next morning; instead it rose with a heavy tinge of blood that unnerved Itachi from the moment that he'd opened his eyes. The sight of the sky above him did not rouse him at first, yet he lifted his tired arms, and brought his bandaged hands to his face. The world was open above him, yet he did not know where he was as of yet...the world seemed to be dead around him – there was a subtle blackness to the sky although veins of red bled through it from the dawn of the sun.

Itachi tightened his loose white yukata as he sat up quickly, realising that he was lying within the centre gardens of the family complex. He looked around himself, unable to remain steady, his body trembling. It was cold, he wrapped his arms around himself, the memories of his hazy night were painful as they came back to him...and he realised what he'd done. At least seeing the blood upon his yukata did not surprise him...it was only when he realised that this blood was not his that he felt fear smother him.

He was yearning to turn around, blood filled his eyes, he could smell it thickly upon the air, and yet he felt horror rise within him for he knew only that death could lie behind him and in what form...? The idea he found horrifying. Had he killed someone?

No...he'd not done anything of the sort...he'd not killed, not that night. The silence around him was impeccable, drawn from the last of the darkness before dawn fully began to rise. It took almost too long for Itachi to turn around.

He felt his heart lurch in his chest as he saw the display behind him. Blood dripped from the throat of this form that hung upside down, tied with rope to one of the wooden columns that held up the roof over the walkway. He placed a hand to his mouth, staring at the blood drenched body of what appeared to be the remnants of his cousin, Kin.

Hacked at, torn and bitten he simply hung there upside down, the blood pooled beneath him upon the pebbles and sand. There was a torn piece of fabric wrapped around his eyes, black with a red pattern on it that somehow seemed familiar to Itachi...yet to his mind there was no doubt about it that the blue-eyed creature was to blame for this.

He didn't know what he should do.

Should he stay there? Should he leave? Should he fetch someone?

Would they think that he'd done this? Would they believe him if he told them about the blue-eyed creature that had been there during the night? Somehow he didn't believe that they would or could be capable of believing him. That they wouldn't be able to tolerate that anyone aside from him had done such a thing, so narrow minded the clan were being, they seemed to be looking for a reason to kill him faster that what they already had planned.

Fugaku was the one to find his son that morning.

It was not long after the dawn and there he found Itachi, able to see him first before anything else, perplexed by the bloody sight of his eldest son as he sat within the centre of the inner garden, eyes red and looking upwards slightly, unblinking. Covered in blood.

Fugaku rushed to the scene, aware that there was something entirely wrong about he situation. Itachi seemed frozen, paralyzed; even when Fugaku had approached him, calling his name Itachi did not move or take his eyes away from the sight ahead of him, Fugaku hadn't yet looked.

Somehow the body of Kin was not a surprising sight to Fugaku. He'd been well aware of Katsuhiko's hiding of Kin's condition since he'd 'become of age' at sixteen. Yet there had never been enough evidence to prove anything...unlike the suspicions that most of the clan held over Itachi. Fugaku looked back to his son. Itachi could not be responsible for this, there was no way.

Fugaku knelt down ahead of his son, Itachi hadn't noticed his father's arrival, instead all he saw was Kin, all he saw was the blood and all he felt was fear. They would kill him now, surely they would. This was the excuse they were looking for, the excuse that would make it that much easier to kill him in cold blood.

"Get up, Itachi." Fugaku demanded. "On your feet."

Itachi blinked at the sound of his father's voice. His eyes fell back to black and he saw his father's form ahead of him and looked up until he met those callous and judging eyes.

"On your feet."

Itachi rose weakly and slowly, his body trembling slightly, the scent of blood seemed far more powerful now and he wondered why he'd remained behind...he could have at least given them a challenge instead of just handing himself over to them. His father did not seem to have any expressions upon his face or within those dark eyes. Itachi felt a kind of comfort in the emptiness of them, that they did not hate him, nor did they love him or feel pity towards his cause.

"Explain, Itachi, what happened here?"

Itachi stared at his father in sudden wonder. Had he honestly asked him what had taken place? That he didn't accuse him...that he didn't immediately believe that Itachi was to blame. Although Itachi found that he was given this small chance to explain, he opened his mouth and yet not words managed to form upon his tongue. He only managed to shake his head and lower it, gently shutting his eyes.

Fugaku's jaw hardened and he stared harshly at his son before his arms were folded and he felt that Itachi was sinking away. He'd tried so hard to detach him from Itachi in the past years...but every time he looked at his son he found that he would do anything in order to save him from the wrath of the others. He would take Kin's body and hide it, bury it or burn it else where...he would take Itachi and clean him up, put him back in his bed and pretend that nothing had happened...but something had happened...something serious that he couldn't ignore.

A clan of vampires had found the Uchiha complex. And that – by far – was more serious than anything. Fugaku could not ignore that fact; instead place it above everything else.

Itachi was confined to the prison chamber again. Left with no treatment to his wounds and in his bloody clothes and dead mind and heart.

The angered voices had begun again...only that time Itachi knew what they were conversing about.

Where they would kill him, not when, not how...but where.

He would die tomorrow at the rising of the sun, they would take him out to one of the furthest rivers from the complex and there they would sever his head from his shoulders and burn him...just as they believed he would.

Still...although he had imminent death facing him...Sasuke's face was the only thing that proved to be of any worth ahead of Itachi's mind. He'd spent time with Sasuke, he'd spent all of his waking hours with Sasuke...and yet he felt that it wasn't enough. He shouldn't die yet.

But before he'd even realised it, dawn had come to them. The sky was filled with blood and remained eerie and harsh as the clear skies showed signs of a wonderful rich day to come.

Forced down onto his knees, Itachi could do nothing but listen to the roaring of the river as it flowed aside of him, feel the chill of it as it splashed up over the rocks and the bank that he was knelt aside of. He felt the heavy beating of his heart, the thudding of it in his ears, unable to see only to feel the tightening of his throat and the fear as it threatened to smother him entirely.

Three had come to take care of him. They'd left before the rising of the sun and it had been black and empty outside, more had gathered to watch him leave, yet no one else would know about what had happened. His death would go by unnoticed...Sasuke would never know what had happened to his aniki.

None of the three spoke to Itachi as he knelt there waiting, unknowing what was going to happen or who the three of them where...but he felt that one of them was his father. Itachi remained in silence, his lips pressed shut and his mind tired and dazed, unable to think straight...only able to taste the blood upon his lips, smell it and feel it as it smothered him, haunting him...it was just a ghost...phantom blood, it was not really there...but this blood was not only his fear but the guilt that he felt.

Why hadn't he fought back?

He shouldn't have needed to. He shouldn't have to tell his family that he was not a killer, that he would never have brought any harm to anyone if only they'd treated him with more respect and less speculation. He was only twelve years old, still a child, and yet they seemed to treat him as though he was one of their greatest threats.

What angered him though was the reason why they'd chosen to punish him. They did not think him to blame for the death of Kin, although they held him responsible for the knowledge of the whereabouts of the Uchiha complex being forwarded to the enemy. A reason enough to make them feel less guilty about his murder, yet would it honestly save their lives? Would it help them in the fight against this enemy?

Itachi found that soon enough he had no more time to think, instead he was forced back onto his feet and gripped at the back of his yukata was forced to walk further away from a pair of voices, while the third remained in silence, forcing him along ahead of him, he tripped up and nearly fell many times but the person leading him was insistent that he would not fall.

When thrown back down onto his knees again Itachi flinched at the feel of a katana blade at his throat. His tied hands balled and he waited for it to come...but it did not...instead the ropes around his wrists were cut...the cloth that blinded him was torn away and Itachi weakly opened his eyes to gaze upon his father.

Fugaku did not face Itachi, instead he walked further away, and from behind a tree he pulled on a rope and let it go, allowing a large sack fall from the trees and to the ground. He picked it up and walked back over to his son, throwing into Itachi's arms after he'd climbed back onto his feet. Itachi watched his father closely, eyes broad unable to figure it out...yet he realised that there were supplies within the sack, bandages and food and water, and even a weapon.

"Father..."

Itachi dropped the sack as again the katana came to his throat, cutting the crude and bloody bandages and bringing more blood to the surface of his throat. Fugaku stared him straight in the eyes, looking at Itachi as if entirely ready to kill, emotionless and sturdy with his blade...but Itachi could feel the blade trembling as it cut deeper against his throat.

Fugaku steadily lowered it, but put out his empty hand. "Give me your hand." He said, Itachi did so uncertainly, watching his father's unwavering eyes, only to have the blade of the katana drive deeply into the palm of his hand, drawing a heavy amount of blood that drenched the blade, causing Itachi to grit his teeth attempting to bring his bandaged and burned – now bloody – hand away, but his father held it in place.

When the blade of the katana appeared to be coated along one edge, Fugaku took the blade away and allowed Itachi his hand back and tossed a piece of cloth at him that Itachi quickly used in order to stem the bleeding.

"Get away from here." Fugaku suddenly announced, looking Itachi seriously in the eyes. "Get away and never return, for the next time I see you, I shall surely kill you. For you, Itachi, are a monster. A creature of blood and darkness who has no right to live upon this world...But I allow you this once chance. Take what you need and go far away, never look back and never seek out the Uchiha name or anything attached to it. Never call yourself an Uchiha for you are now nothing but a creature of blood and you are that only. Once you were my son, but now you are simply the image of my son and nothing more."

Itachi did not open his mouth to reply. He'd nothing to say. Only tied the cloth around his hand and lifted the sack up over his shoulder...torn and fearful...confused.

Could this be worse than death? Exile? Had his father done this for him? To lessen his guilt or because he honestly did not believe that Itachi deserved death...? From the words that Itachi heard he could believe that it as nothing more selfish than to lessen his own guilt.

Fugaku was gone back through the trees before Itachi could gather himself together. He looked around himself and towards the river, at his reflection upon its surface...coated in blood and white as a ghost. He appeared to be nothing but an animated corpse...and his heart ached.

He was never to see Sasuke again.

...

It was late evening when Itachi finally settled.

He'd walked on and on down the river side without stopped, ceasing to think until he felt too much of a weakness within his bones to continue any longer.

He sat and made a small fire for himself at the riverside, he rested on the water's edge and un-bandaging all of his wounds he washed them in the water before getting out a different change of clothes that were less conspicuous than the dirty white yukata that he'd been wearing and adorned the dark blue one and the sandals. He noticed that the Uchiha crest was nowhere to be seen upon this yukata...and for some reason this pained him greatly.

Wrapping up his own wounds again after cleaning them Itachi sat at the fireside, the emptiness threatened already to make him lose his mind. At first he even thought that the figures in black sitting across from him at the other side of the fire weren't real. At first they did not speak, and he hardly noticed them, they seemed to be only shadows...until the red light of the fire revealed them as three very real figures, adorned in black cloaks that were patterned with an ominous red cloud.

The broad hoods hid their faces but Itachi – none the less – recognised the blue eye staring at him and got onto his feet steadily, unafraid and careless.

"Good, so there is a light in there somewhere," one of them muttered and got onto his feet too, growing to his full great height that entirely dwarfed Itachi. Itachi only caught a glimpse of this creature from the firelight...a monster of a man with a glimmering yellow eye and strange off-coloured skin that appeared almost blue. "Go on then, say it, Deidara, you're starting to piss me off, kid, I'm getting bored."

"Give it a rest, Kisame-san." The one in the centre of the three muttered, the blue-eyed one that Itachi now had a name for. "I was getting to it, right Sasori-dana."

"Then get to it." The third one chided, his voice was smooth and youthful yet his tone aged him greatly, he sounded cruel and easily angered.

Deidara stood from the centre and lowered his hood so that he could take in the full sight of the small Uchiha ahead of him. His wide mouth smirked and he folded his arms, Itachi entirely silenced and motionless.

"So, got any last wishes, hm?" Deidara inquired, the smirk did not leave his eyes or his lips, only dressed him further and adorned him with pure glee. Itachi didn't like that look, in fact he hated it. "Because we have an offer for you...actually...it's more like black-mail but apparently I'm not allowed to call it that, hm."

Itachi shook his head and took a deep breath. Could it get any worse?

"We're going to go and kill your little clan, Uchiha." Laughed the large blue one, catching Itachi's attention, causing him to move. "Thought that might rile ya."

"I wanted to tell him, hm!" Deidara whined, dropping his hands and balling them as he glared over his shoulder at Kisame who remained strong and laughing quietly.

"Here's the deal." The third one said. Itachi looked down at the one sitting, Deidara dropped his shoulders but said nothing, Sasori continued. "Either way we're going to kill your family...but we could kill you too. Come with us and you don't die. It's as easy as that."

"Fine." Itachi said, lowering his eyes.

"Huh?" Deidara lent forwards searching Itachi's eyes for any sign on madness, his single exposed eyebrow raised in mild confusion.

"Kill them. Kill all of them and I will come with you...but on one condition."

"Ah-ha! I knew there'd be a catch, hm." Deidara nodded his head and folded his arms again, licking his lips eagerly.

"State your condition." Sasori voiced.

Itachi looked between the three of them, his eyes unfocused almost entirely unseeing. He felt no pain in his heart at the idea of bringing death to those who wished it upon him...he would not argue, his anger blinded him...and yet he continued to see only one single stream of light. This was the only thing that Itachi could do. It would not ease any further suffering...it would not save the lives of those who were also undeserving...but he didn't care about them...he only cared about one single thing.

"One of them is to be left entirely unharmed. My brother, Uchiha Sasuke." Itachi told them, his expression entirely resolute.

"One little kid, hm?" Deidara seemed disapproving. "Sure, why not? Couldn't hurt." He shrugged, glancing over at the other two. Sasori finally climbed onto his feet and looked over at Itachi who matched eyes with him unmoving and almost powerful, the colour of blood began to rise in those eyes and Sasori began to walk away.

"Uchiha Sasuke will remain unharmed." He announced.

Deidara smirked and walked over to Itachi; he put his arms around Itachi's shoulders and brought him to a walk. "Welcome to Akatsuki, Itachi-san. Don't worry, hm. We'll treat you real good."

...

_(Present Day)_

Itachi gazed up at the low ceiling of rock that loomed over him. The nightmare had awoken him, his body drenched in a chilling sweat, blood resting upon his tongue and he felt his muscles throbbing along with his head.

He hadn't thought about it for centuries. He'd not remembered the truth...it was hard to think like that...hard to stop it from gnawing at him. He'd hoped that he'd been able to fool even himself with the lies but nothing would hide the truth from him. He felt dazed and got up to sit over the side of the bed, looking out over the rest of the cavern room, at the crates and crude wooden tables and chairs, at the dusty old weaponry and armour, and his cloak that rested over the chair at the side of the bed.

He wiped his brow with the back of his hand and tied back his hair from his face, finding his shirt and adorning it before he noticed a figure walk passed the archway that was a doorway into the small chamber. The blonde hair caused him to feel great anger and he got up onto his feet as he realised that the foot steps were coming back towards him.

Deidara's smiling face appeared around the archway presently, Itachi avoided his eyes but Deidara entered none the less. "You've slept for days now, Itachi-san...been dreaming well, hm?"

Itachi met Deidara's eyes as he entered further into the chamber, his blonde hair tied back fully to show both of his blue eyes and the fullness of his bright smile. Itachi's eyes moved along the length of Deidara's body, noticing Deidara himself moving closer.

"No. It was not a good dream." Itachi replied bringing his eyes upwards again, blank and careless they matched Deidara's playful blue ones and Itachi felt that he wanted to rip out this creatures throat..._It was all your fault._

Itachi suddenly smirked having stepped closer to Deidara, his hand gently stroked the side of Deidara's face, eyes watching Deidara's become slightly more fearful, the cruelty in Itachi's eyes became darker, more unruly until they burned that frightful red.

"I was dreaming about you."

Deidara smiled. "I thought you said it was not a good dream, hm?" he laughed.

Itachi laughed gently too, almost crazed which caused Deidara to lurch back, but not fast enough before he felt Itachi's hand clutch around his throat, forcing him against the cavern wall with such an effort that the chamber shook and began to crumble. Deidara felt slightly panicked as he stared at Itachi's crazed face and tasted the blood that rose at the back of his throat.

"It only deepened my hatred for you, pathetic, little, Deidara." Itachi's words were harsh and bitter as he ran a sharp fingernail along Deidara's jaw. "Death would be too good for you, and too simple for me. Continue to fear me, which should be punishment enough."

Deidara dropped to the ground as Itachi suddenly moved away. He clutched onto his throat and coughed up blood onto the dusty ground. Itachi was out of his sights within moments and Deidara's face suddenly hardened, his blue eyes cold and callous. Itachi to him was nothing but a fraud...and he looked forwards to Itachi's imminent death.

"Not much longer now, hm. Not much longer."

...

Oh the irony that is Deidara and Itachi!

Firstly I would like to thank everyone for all of their reviews, I'm happy that you're all glad that I've done this, personally I'm glad too, I was starting to miss this story.

Secondly, feel some kind of sympathy for Itachi. Honestly, I've never hated Itachi, actually I've been trying to find excuses for him, and if you're a reader of the recent manga chapters, then you will understand what I'm talking about.

Thanks again! I hope you've enjoyed and please review! I'm getting to Naruto-chan and Sasuke next chapter.

Talk soon x x x x x


	3. Revelation

Yo-ho all! It's me again, sorry it's been ages since I last updated but I've been away so I haven't really had much time to think about this story or any of my other ones.

I know some of you guys didn't enjoy my flashbacks very much…which was slightly upsetting :sob: because I love flashbacks and honestly I miss Itachi-sama! Anyways never mind…this is the chapter that you all wanted, right? Sasuke and Naruto are finally back - so I better get some nice reviews, 'kay? Cool beans! On with chapter 3.

Same disclaimers apply.

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Chapter Three

Revelation

It was a long way down…looking over the railing down the centre of the spiral staircase he felt uneasy…cursing whoever invented stairs and that the elevator was broken…his night hadn't exactly begun smoothly and he refused to move at anything aside from human speed. He sighed and stopped again…he had the stamina for it, but he was so bored it was almost unbelievable…he hated that Sasuke could fly.

"Best get back to it…" Naruto brushed off his jeans and stood up again, trying to pump himself up, it was at times like this that he missed the little voice inside his head. Running his fingers through his hair, Naruto took to the next flight of stairs…steadily beginning to forget why on earth he was going all the way to the roof for.

He paused for a moment to compose himself. "Oh yeah…dad…"

Once the hatch was in sight, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, he paused again, the two hours he'd spent trying to get up there better be worth it…the least his dad could have done was walk along with him. Pushing up through the hatch, Naruto felt the frozen chill of the mountain on his back, nearly bowing him clear out of the hole. He gripped onto the ground and the railing and lifted himself out, looking around.

With his jacket hood raised, Naruto climbed up onto the rocky surface of the mountain's head, at first glance it seemed that no one was up there, Naruto was ready to hurl himself over the edge after ripping out his hair, only that once he shut the hatch behind him, he noticed the shape that was on the other side of the platform.

In a long black coat his father seemed to seep into the inky darkness, but the glow of the moon upon his hair allowed Naruto to catch a glimpse of him, and so Naruto approached, but only after a few minutes of admiration. This was his father…he'd never quite gotten over that fact.

"Sorry about the elevator. Wouldn't have made much of a difference, it doesn't come all the way up anyway." His father voiced before Naruto had reached his side. He glanced back, his eyes gleamed red for a moment before they melted into their more natural blue. "How are you recently, Naruto?"

Naruto took in a deep breath and looked over the railing at the glowing lights in the distance, flickering like the reflection of stars on a lake's surface. He smiled. "Can't complain…"

Yondaime smiled and turned back ahead to face the fallen stars.

"Sasuke coming back soon?"

"Yeah, he should be back tomorrow…" Naruto replied. Had his father brought him all the way up there for a casual talk? He raised an eyebrow and glanced towards his dad with curiosity in his blue eyes. About to open his mouth again, his father suddenly spoke, yet the question he'd already asked.

"How are you recently, Naruto?"

Naruto lowered his head; he knew what his father was asking.

"I…I think I've been better," he replied truthfully. "It's just the little things…you know…it's a bit strange." Naruto rubbed the back of his head and dropped his shoulders. "You haven't noticed, have you?" he asked hopefully.

His father smiled. "Hm, not really…" he shrugged. "But your demeanour has changed…the rest of the clan are starting to see you differently."

"Eh? Really?" Naruto looked to his father with wide eyes…he'd not realised it. He thought back on it and he probably should have reasoned that those cold eyes he'd been so use to receiving was because these people were all pure blooded demons and vampires, they were not used to having a half blood around them…unless it was Gaara of course - but even then Gaara held such a presence and air about him that the others dare not stand in his way. Minato laughed softly and smiled, glancing down at Naruto though noticed the grand change in his height that now rivalled his own.

He couldn't be more than an inch shorter than Sasuke now. He was surprised actually how fast Naruto's demonic attributes had kicked in…though he'd heard that Naruto had a seal in place to trap them, it appeared either as though it was waning or entirely destroyed.

"So…did you ask me up here for a reason?" Naruto wondered, allowing his eyes to look up at the starry night sky.

"Oh? Is it so wrong of a father to want to have a nice casual conversation with his son atop of a mountain of which he is so fond?"

Naruto dropped his shoulders. "You heard what you just said, right?"

Minato laughed heartily and nodded his head. "Yeah, well. Worth a shot." He replied. "I just wanted to introduce you to your ancestors. I haven't really had much time to back track with you...I've never really been much for history myself, but honestly this is important."

Naruto realised that his father's eyes hadn't moved from the skies. He didn't say anything only allowed his father to continue. "You know, although demons usually pass around that they're immortal in most cases they're really not. Though age makes us stronger not all of us get wiser and sure enough some of us fail to understand that such power deserves more respect. Our lineage is one of the oldest ever to be recorded, although it existed much earlier, much further back than any recorded document. And the reason for that is although we have the strength we also have the wisdom to use it, and also the respect." Minato put his arm up as if he was indicating towards the stars. Naruto turned to look up at the sky and listened as his father continued talking.

"We also respect all living things. Even our Lord, the Kyuubi no Kitsune...even he respected certain things...the lives of his brothers more than anything else, since at the days when he came to power were centuries of war and devastation, the human race were little more than flecks of morality that stood in the way of the demonic kingdom. In those days demons fought against demons for the right, for the power to control all others, and as it goes He was the greatest among them, and so this respect continues to this day...and also to this day, there is no greater being on this earth that would be capable of bringing death to him...for he had attained true immortality."

Naruto blinked and glanced back to his father as he felt a slight churning in his stomach. "Wait!" Naruto cried, causing Minato to pause before he was about to continue and glance at his son, lowering his arm to his side. "He's still alive?"

"Of course." Minato said his expression was one of total acceptance; slight mock humour at Naruto's eluded surprise. "He has always lived, and forever will."

"Then – then what about you?" Naruto asked, his voice suddenly frantic, unable to understand what was going on. He approached his father as they turned to face one another.

"What about me?" Minato questioned, shrugging.

"Well why are you the leader? Why isn't he?"

"He has a lived long life, as I've said," Minato began; his eyes gleamed with sympathy as he turned back to the stars. "He rests now, and for now I live in order to continue to bring him peace. He does not like this world...and though soon enough he looks to pass on, but before he can do that he needs to find a vessel suitable and worthy enough to take his place."

"A vessel?" Naruto questioned. "Like someone to take on his strength?"

"More or less." Minato sighed. "Though it may be a while yet before he'll find someone worthy enough for such a place..." he dropped his shoulders and his eyes showed some kind of sadness. "Your mother will kill me for getting you involved in all of this..." he muttered, running his fingers through his hair.

"You haven't told me much about her." Naruto pointed out.

Minato smiled sadly and looked to Naruto with gleaming blue eyes. "Yes...well...I've been waiting for you to ask, really. I find it hard just to start talking about her..."

Naruto smiled, yet he recognised that longing in his father's eyes as he stared off into the sky above as if he was looking directly at her. Naruto smiled too, and looked up at the sky. "What was she like?"

"Just like you." Minato laughed softly. "You remind me of her so much...I'm glad that you didn't turn out like me!"

"Would that really be such a bad thing?" Naruto replied.

"Well yes considering you'd probably end up wanting to take my place as head of this clan...and all around I don't really want that...although I think that's probably what I've been conveying to you. I kind of just yearn for the days when there is no need for us to hide anymore...but to be honest with you we don't belong in this world, it belongs to the mortals now...actually that's how you came about." Minato chuckled again as he glanced at Naruto with a thoughtful look to his eyes that made Naruto beam in confusion.

"You mean that's how you met mom?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Minato replied. "I'd never known a woman who could put me in my place like that! Honestly...I was used to being looked up to...no mortal is aware of who I am...to them I just look like your average _person_ – well when I look like this – so when I did venture out to the mortal world for a little while, I met your mother and it was the most fun I'd had in years...I never realised how high and mighty I could be sometimes."

"You haven't changed either."

Naruto glanced behind him at the new voice and noticed the figure of Gaara beginning to appear just behind them, the tiny flecks of sand came together to form his body as he looked towards them from the far side of the platform.

"Something the matter, Gaara?" Minato asked without looking back, his eyes still fixed ahead of him. "Are they back yet?"

Naruto noticed the slight twitch to Gaara's usually stoic face as he dropped his shoulders. "They're waiting for you in your office with all of the information that you wanted." Gaara replied. "Since when did I become your personal secretary?"

Minato turned around with his usual grin and shrugged. "Who knows! But thanks for letting me know." He looked to Naruto and smiled broadly. "Sorry, we'll have to continue this some other time..." he said, reaching over his placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder and squeezed, the expression on his face was as placid as always, and much to Naruto's delight his eyes remained that brilliant blue rather than fading to crimson as they sometimes did.

Naruto nodded his head and watched as his father vanished through the hatch, yet Gaara remained behind looking at him. Naruto glanced around; worried that he'd done something wrong when Gaara finally spoke up.

"Uchiha is back a day early." He said, and Naruto understood him and was off back down the stairs before Gaara could say anything else.

...

Sasuke felt the slight tang of sanity return to him as he heard the echo of quickly opening doorways throughout the complex. It stirred some odd emotions in him; he felt his body tremble and ache as he paced in the chamber, unable to keep calm as the sheer anxiety threatened to consume him.

He'd been like that since he'd left. When he'd gone back to Konoha to check up on Kakashi he felt like a bundle of nerves, unable to keep still for one moment let alone keep a steady conversation going. Kakashi had noted he looked like he was going through withdrawals..._cold turkey_. Sasuke had shrugged it off...but that's what he realised it felt like too.

So there he was. A day early and still undeniably on edge.

The echoing of those doors continued, Sasuke felt himself drowning in something as it felt that he wasn't getting any closer...that he was just staying the same distance away...was this really all that was keeping him going? He sighed deeply, his shoulders dropped as he finally rested his legs and fell to one of the settee's that lined the room, he knew that he had to compose himself or risk losing what credibility that he had. He would have to be patient and wait.

The night hadn't been easy - without a doubt - yet as he'd arrived there, back at the mountains, that was when he started feeling worse. As if he was right there but still somehow out of reach. He'd been feeling like that for a while now. Somehow...although Sasuke was glad that Naruto had been awoken to this whole new world, that Naruto seemed to be somewhat enjoying himself...he missed the solitude of that small apartment and the quiet murmurs of the world around them...Sasuke didn't like being around so many other vampires! In fact he almost hated it...but he couldn't voice his feelings on that, he didn't want to worry Naruto anymore than needed.

Sasuke turned, finally he heard the heartbeat louder in his ears and realised the closeness of the one he'd so longed to see. The door opened and meekly a blonde head of hair appeared, his blue eyes searching until they spotted the tall figure in black stood on the other side of one of the settee. Naruto felt his stomach churn as a grin captured his features and he shut the door behind him once entering the room.

Sasuke's look was one of surprise, maybe even awe as he looked over Naruto's from. He'd been gone for little more than a week and already Naruto looked so different, his height rivalled his own and although he'd never seemed weak before, he no longer did he have that whole _small_ feeling about him that Sasuke had noticed in the past.

"What?" Naruto muttered, uncomfortable with the staring that Sasuke seemed to be doing. Sasuke snapped out of it and smiled broadly, a smile like Naruto hadn't really seen before. "No really – what?!"

Sasuke shook his head, ahead of Naruto before he'd even realised it himself, placing his hands to his kitsune's heated face and pressing their lips together. Sasuke felt the anxiety leave him, his body felt at ease and the built up tension he felt waver as he drove the kiss deeper, of which Naruto held no arguments.

Pulling back with a smile, Naruto's expression dazed having not expected such a welcoming. Sasuke did not lower his hands, only moved Naruto's hair from his face and the small smile continued to gleam in his black eyes that seemed to be warm rather than cold. Naruto found these eyes ones that he'd misses the most, the eyes of someone that he felt that he could trust entirely with his life, the eyes that made his stomach tighten and made him feel his heart thundering like a drum in his skull.

"You realise, don't you..." Sasuke began, looking Naruto directly in the eyes. "The amount of power that you have over me?"

Naruto blinked to compose himself and took a step back to bring himself out of the daze that Sasuke's eyes seemed to keep him in, and circled the dark-eyed creature who continued to follow him into the room. "Power?" Naruto replied. "I don't have power over you – it's more like the other way around!"

Sasuke laughed shortly, Naruto stumbled backwards almost nervously against the low table and again brought himself to stand, facing an approaching Sasuke. "Believe what you will," Sasuke waved a dismissive hand ahead of him and folded his arms before he stopped just ahead of Naruto. "But whatever is going on here screws me up real good."

Naruto wasn't sure how to reply to that, but he kind of thought that he understood Sasuke's feelings...he'd been so anxious for days now that I was almost painful! He hated waiting around. He decided though...to change the subject, averting his eyes.

"How was Kakashi-san?" he asked, moving away from the low table and further into the room. He glanced back to Sasuke who had that look in his eyes that Naruto loved the most, but decided to refrain himself for the moment, if he didn't then neither of them would.

Sasuke shrugged. "He's fine. He met up with Sai again, he's alive and well, passed on his blood so that Sai would be strong enough to protect himself if a time comes. But he was gone once I got there...Kakashi seemed bored more than anything." Sasuke knew that he should answer these questions and beat around the bush as little as possible, just one step closer to what he really wanted. His head was lowered slightly, his eyes looking up as they found the throat of his kitsune so appetising that it was causing the blood in his veins to boil. The sooner they got passed Naruto's questioning the sooner they could get what they both really wanted...of course, Naruto thought that getting right to it was a little unpractical.

"Why didn't you just ask Kakashi to come here?" Naruto questioned, that same spot on his throat was tingling as it had done the times before, as if Sasuke was somehow calling to him. He held his ground, trying not to let the faltering look in his eyes show too much.

"He didn't want to." Sasuke replied almost at once. "He is happier where he is."

"Oh." Was Naruto's response. His eyes were lowered..._shit...I can't think of anything else to say..._

Sasuke's smirk grew, his eyes focused on Naruto's form as he stood a fair enough distance away from him, and yet Sasuke could smell the rising of his blood to his face, he could feel the heat of that body and hear the echoes of that heartbeat like a drum as it controlled the movements of his own body so that he was stood again so close to Naruto that he himself hadn't noticed.

"Will you take off that jacket, now?" Sasuke whispered, his lips to Naruto's ear, able to feel still the nervousness and maybe embarrassment that drowned Naruto whenever such actions came about...whenever such intimacy brought them so close together, when Naruto too realised that he wanted the same thing.

Without saying anything, Naruto unzipped the jacket and Sasuke brought it off his arms and threw it aside, pressing his face into the crook of Naruto's throat, the heat against his face was intense, like a drug. Naruto gripped onto Sasuke's arm to stop him before he got carried away too quickly, and whispered something that Sasuke had longed to hear for such a long time.

"Sasuke...let's go into the bedroom."

Naruto shut the doors behind them and turned the lock, there were too many people in that place, they would smell the blood no doubt, Naruto was slightly embarrassed by it all...that everyone seemed to know what was going on. Sasuke turned on the lap next to the bed that set off a small golden glow to the room, before he walked back over to a silent Naruto who was resting with his back against the door unable to say anything even as Sasuke approached.

"What's bothering you?" Sasuke asked, standing ahead of Naruto, he placed one hand upon his torso, against the plain shirt and felt the heat rise against his fingers, the beating of Naruto's heartbeat was like the own pulse of his body against the palm of his hand.

Naruto shrugged to the question. "I suppose I just miss Konoha..." he replied. "You know...I'm not really used to such huge buildings or rooms...this bedroom is bigger than my whole apartment. And..." Naruto blushed as he lowered his head slightly. "I feel...I feel like everyone knows what's happening..."

Sasuke dropped his shoulders and thought on that for a moment...he'd been thinking roughly the same thing only moments ago. He ran his fingers through Naruto's hair and pressed his lips against those markings on his cheek. "If it makes you feel any better...I don't think that 'everyone' knows what's happening..." he smirked. "But even if they didn't know the whole truth I'm sure that half of their assumptions would be right. Is that so bad?"

"You know that's not what I mean." Naruto scowled.

Sasuke took hold of Naruto's hand and pulled him towards him until they were stood at the bottom of the bed. "Let them believe what they want..." Sasuke whispered. "In the end they're only envious."

Naruto scoffed, earning a raised eyebrow from Sasuke, and he laughed shortly, before he took a deep breath and once again found his courage. He pressed his hands against Sasuke's shoulders and pushed him down onto the bed; Sasuke looked up at him hungrily and smirked darkly. "This is the part where you say – _well then, let's give them something to be envious about..._"

"Don't push it." Naruto laughed before Sasuke gripped onto the bottom of his shirt and pulled him down onto the bed with him, somehow, Naruto blinked and found Sasuke's form looming above him with his own body lying down on the bed. He'd never figured out how he did that...

"Did you miss me?" Sasuke whispered as he pressed his lips against Naruto's throat, tasting the warm flesh against his tongue...he couldn't wait anymore. He felt Naruto's body rise somewhat beneath him at in surprise, loving the feeling of Naruto's warm body as it gripped onto his own shirt in anticipation of the bloody kiss.

"You...you missed me more..." Naruto replied with a small laugh, Sasuke pinched his waist as punishment and brought his lips away to look over Naruto's laughing face. "Sorry! I ruined the mood..." he continued to laugh at the displeased look in Sasuke's eyes before he reached up and grabbed a pillow and brought it over to cover his face. Sasuke sat back, resting over Naruto's thighs and folded his arms, waiting for him to finish.

Naruto took a deep breath and moved the pillow from his face with an apologetic smile still on his features that Sasuke couldn't remain angry at, yet he supposed that he could maybe get even. He took the pillow and threw it aside, doing the same with the rest of the pillows as he leant over Naruto so that his abdomen hovered above the confused face of the kitsune.

"Sasuke -,"

"Take it off." He said, his face above Naruto's suddenly, his eyes held an intensity that Naruto hadn't felt before, even as he felt those cold fingers as they began to peel away his shirt, bringing it over his head and discarding it before Naruto even had a chance to.

Sasuke didn't allow it to show on his face, but as his eyes wondered Naruto's body he felt an ache in his heart as they spotted the markings that were left behind from Itachi...it seemed like years had passed since that day, and yet Sasuke knew that only months had gone by. These small scars would never leave him. As Naruto was about to speak again, Sasuke lowered his lips down to press against the most prominent of the scars that resided upon Naruto's exposed hipbone, and ran his tongue over the scar, secretly hoping that it would just vanish.

Naruto shut his eyes at the sensation, his toes curled, feeling fangs grazing against his skin, hands against his waist and drawing back the top of his pants, causing Naruto's breath to hitch in his throat momentarily. He didn't know what to do with his hands; they seemed to remain at his sides, clenched like his eyes. Sasuke's hands moved along his body along with his lips, and Naruto felt so anxious he felt that he was going to die...Sasuke looked up momentarily at the look on Naruto's face and moved his body.

He placed his lips against Naruto's again, and kissed him hard, Naruto kissed him back with equal passion, holding onto Sasuke's body, feeling that the shirt he wore was in the way...Sasuke read his mind and with a short parting of their lips, the shirt was gone, and their bodies pressed together. The chill of Sasuke's torso calmed Naruto's nerves, the heat he felt rising in his body was as intense as fire.

Naruto paused for a moment and dropped his head to Sasuke's shoulder, gripping onto the back of Sasuke's head as he felt the heat was still rising within him, he felt dazed and weak, and Sasuke sensed this, catching Naruto's body as it threatened to fall away from him. But he didn't fall away, instead he gripped on tighter, his face pressing against Sasuke's shoulder...and Sasuke remained rigid. Something was wrong.

"Naruto...?" Sasuke could feel the heat pouring off Naruto like flames licking at his skin. Naruto was gripping tightly onto him, his breathing was deeper, harsher than Sasuke had heard, it didn't sound good. "Naruto..."

Naruto could smell the blood as it pumped through Sasuke's veins, he could feel the throb of it, hear the beating of his heart and already he could taste the flesh against his tongue. His body ached for it. He held tightly onto Sasuke, his lips hung just above his bare shoulder, a mouth full of fangs bared and eager to be used as he smelt the flesh so close to him. He shut his eyes...he hadn't felt like this for so long...he was too terrified to move...he didn't want to lose himself to it.

Sasuke remained motionless; he felt Naruto's fingers as they gripped on so hard that he felt fingernails beginning to tear at his skin. He didn't flinch, but he felt a strange dread within him at this, able to feel an odd surge of power from Naruto as the heat began to rise. Sasuke had been told by the Yondaime to watch out for Naruto during this time...he'd been well informed that during this time Naruto wouldn't be entirely himself.

"_If something happens, come to see me. Make sure that you don't let your emotions get in the way; if he attacks you then get yourself out of there as fast as you can. He'd hate himself more for harming you." _Those had been the words said to him during one of the sessions that Sasuke had had with the leader of the clan those few weeks ago. Up until then, Sasuke hadn't really noticed anything...maybe a little glow of red in Naruto's eyes now and again, a little growing confidence...and the slight changes in his appearance...but just then...just then he actually felt that he was in real danger.

He remained still. He couldn't move even if he wanted too...the amount of strength that Naruto was applying was astounding. Sasuke clenched his fangs...how had it ended up like this?

Naruto took a deep breath and composed himself finally...though the scent of blood he could smell as it carried thickly through the air...he'd not wanted Sasuke to see him like this...he'd not wanted anyone else to get hurt, like all those years ago...all those people...

"Sasuke..." the echo of something darker flooded Naruto's voice, Sasuke could feel his body trembling as he had to force himself to take away his arms, it was almost too difficult, his whole body was shaking, his chest throbbing. Sasuke took what chance he had and pulled himself away as Naruto dropped down onto the bed on his knees and covered his head with his arms. Sasuke watched the rise and fall of Naruto's back at his heavy breathes.

Sasuke remained still, he stood at the doorway, he watched Naruto as time passed, Naruto's breathing calmed down...and Sasuke knew what he had to do. He continued to wait, wait until Naruto was calm enough to bring himself up to sit back on his feet, his head still lowered as he tried t control what urges that he continued to feel at the scent of Sasuke's blood in the air. Why then? Why did it have to happen then? He wanted Sasuke so much...he'd longed for him, longed for his touch and his kisses and yet he'd had to feel that madness as it began to smoother him, something that he knew he wasn't yet strong enough to control. He could kill Sasuke if he didn't calm down...

He put out his arm across the bed, outstretched to where Sasuke stood waiting. Sasuke reached forwards and took that arm, he could feel Naruto's pain through that one small touch and almost didn't want to let go. Sasuke shut his eyes and pulled Naruto's body into his; wrapping his arms around him and without a seconds pause he pressed his lips against Naruto's throat and tore down with his fangs. Doing the only thing he knew he could do in order to calm Naruto down, in order to ease the pressure and pain that was building up within him.

Naruto felt easy as he felt Sasuke's body press against his own...he felt that dangerous strength being drained away from him, as he began to feel more like himself again...he held onto Sasuke's body closely, he didn't know how he would be able to cope without Sasuke by his side...how had he ever done it?

Sasuke lowered Naruto's body down onto the bed, feeling his form fall limp in his arms as the heat fell away from him, and Sasuke soon felt no danger as calm fell over him. Sasuke looked down over Naruto's placid face, at his gently shut eyes and parted lips and pressed his own lips against them gently, kissing away what blood there was there.

He lay himself down next to Naruto on the bed...uncertain what he should do. Naruto had gone by then, sleeping, entirely out-cold...it was probably for the best, Sasuke realised. Yet somehow as he looked over Naruto's motionless form that deepened feeling of dread did not ebb away as he'd hoped it would...only that it began to fester. He rolled onto his back and rubbed his hands through his hair, feeling tired so suddenly.

Of course he wanted Naruto...he wanted him more than anything...he'd vowed to follow him, but after he'd gone back to Konoha...he wasn't so certain if he could do that anymore. It sounded more like a dream each time he thought over it in his mind. The passion he felt for Naruto could only dull the hatred and confusion on him so much before it surpassed it and his mind once again became focused on the one thing that would never bring him peace.

Itachi and the truth. Itachi and what he had done. Itachi and why he'd done it.

Sasuke didn't want to think about it, but he felt as if it was a part of him, if he did not listen to the past then he felt that it would come back to haunt him, that others would be injured. He'd allowed Naruto to get caught up in it last time...he knew Itachi well enough to understand that no matter what he wouldn't give up. He would see Itachi again, and he would continue to hate him although it caused his heart to ache.

Sasuke looked to Naruto momentarily and got up from the bed. "I'm going to go for a walk, Naruto..." he whispered. "I won't be long."

...

Yondaime looked between his two guests as he sat behind his desk and looked over the file that they'd brought for him, but rather listen to what they had to say. His eyes met with the pale ones of Temari as she stood with her arms folded, and moved over to Kankuro who remained still with the hood raised on his jacket, his gloved hands shoved in his pockets.

"So, you have something to tell me?" he said, the both of them looked between one another before Temari stood forwards and began to explain.

"Yes well we did all the snooping around that you wanted us to do...and turns out that you were right – not that we doubted or anything – but there were lots of things that probably are better explained in the report." She began as she unbuttoned her jacket and dropped it aside from the heat in the room. Her pale eyes moved over to Kankuro and his purple face paint as he pursed his lips.

"Yes, so, tell me what I was right about?" Yondaime asked, opening the file as he skimmed over some of the pages.

"Well Akatsuki are starting to gather together again," Kankuro sighed. "Like you said. But thing is that they're doing something weird. I mean their numbers have been the same for years, so we figured that they're not planning on an uprising of that sort. They're too clever for that anyway, so we've been trying to figure out what it is that they were trying to gain from it all."

"And I take that you did?"

"Yeah or else we wouldn't have come back," Temari continued, raising an eyebrow at Yondaime who sat back in his chair, a smirk across his lips. "So, also like you said, it wasn't only that Uchiha-freak who went about trying to get into another clan. Almost all of them did it...we figured that they were looking for someone – but as it turned out it was something a little more sinister than that."

"Seems that they're eyeing up half-demons." Kankuro continued for his sister, Yondaime lowered his eyes. He'd thought just as much. "Dunno what they're doing to them exactly, but you know the Akatsuki aren't stupid and for as long as we've been around they've been up to something, so all we can think of is that they've been planning on this for a while and are starting to pull out all of the stops."

"Then they're collecting half-demons?" Yondaime questioned, and flicked through the file again to find a page of names, there were only three of them so far, but there were also names on the list that were yet to be checked off.

"That's the list that Kankuro's puppet found when we sent it into one of their hideouts. Seems that your kid is on that list too along with our brother – they've got to be thinking pretty highly of themselves, I'm telling you that. As if Gaara would get himself caught like that." Temari scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "Who do they think they are?"

Yondaime pondered on the names for a while. This was probably one of the most important pieces of information that he would have had for a while...but there were many names on that list...all of them half-demons? Yondaime didn't know, but he was uncomfortable by the fact that Naruto's name was written on there along with Gaara's.

"In any case this information is useful. The fact that they're probably targeting half-demons worries me, though. That's a dangerous game to be playing." Yondaime's eyes were crimson as they collected the names again and tried to register some of them.

"So then you know what they want with the half-demons?" Temari asked, no matter how much she and Kankuro had thought on it, they'd not really been able to figure anything out on their own. They'd opened that Minato would know something on the matter seeing that he was more experienced in such demonic matters.

"I can't say for certain...but with every half-demon they've always been considered such a threat because of their usually volatile nature. Their minds aren't entirely capable of controlling the power that's within them in most cases, where as some are born lucky like Gaara, some like my son aren't born so lucky at all. Although his body is strong, his mind is not capable of commanding the power within him...and many people believe that the most dangerous thing on this earth is a half-demon because they're weaker to mind control.

"Demons cannot be controlled in such ways, nor can vampires – and if a human were to be controlled then there is a limit to the amount of destruction that they can do...but if a half-demon is controlled then there's a great chance of massive casualties. This applies a lot to Naruto." Yondaime sighed as he sunk into his chair. "But I don't think that this is what Akatsuki is trying to attain." Yondaime looked up to the two faces ahead of him that begged for more of an explanation. Yondaime shook his head, yet he caught a small look in Kankuro's eye that begged to be right. Minato looked to Kankuro and spoke up. "What do you think it is?"

"We don't know or else we would have said." Temari pointed out, before she realised that it was Kankuro that Yondaime had put the question to. She glanced at her silent brother and raised an eyebrow. "Well then?"

Kankuro dropped his shoulders and sighed. "It's a stupid idea...is just something that I read a while back got me thinking..." Kankuro looked between the two of them. "Well, while we were there, I caught sight of something that looked like this giant statue covered in eyes...I think there were like nine or ten of them or something...and it clicked...I'd read about something like that before...something to do with the Nine Knights that included the ruler the Kyuubi no Kitsune all those millennia back..." Kankuro's voice kind of drowned out as if he was hoping that they would have caught onto what he was saying by then. Temari raised an eyebrow waiting for him to continue, yet Minato had gotten up onto his feet and rushed over to one of the many book cabinets that filled his room.

"Yondaime-sama?" Temari followed him with his eyes as he reached up to a higher shelf and pulled out a small scroll that was tied shut with a faded crimson sash.

"Kankuro, you're a genius..." Minato complimented as he went back over to his desk and moved the files out of the way and rolled it out across the surface. He looked up to Kankuro and he approached the desk with his eyes looking down at the picture in ink that resided upon the scroll along with scribbled writing. "Is this what you saw?"

"Yeah! Yeah that's it!"

"Thank-you, you two. You've both been a big help to me." Minato smiled as he rolled up the scroll again and placed it aside. He looked up to the two of them, still with a wide grin in place upon his features. "You're excused."

...

Sorry, I didn't intend on it being so short, but I won't have much time to be writing these anymore so the chapters will probably continue being this kind of length from now on. I've read over it too! But sorry for any stupid mistakes!

I hope that you're starting to grasp the storyline here...it's not going to be very mind boggling...I'm just basically twisting around what happens in the manga and adding stuff in here and there to make it more of a story...I hope you guys have enjoyed.

If you don't mind – grope that review button! GROPE!!


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